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 Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 1:02 am Post subject: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
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10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
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a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed to a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way
.... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian channel
NRK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then, we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam. It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: ) neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And, same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle. Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from "
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure, we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing "HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over 150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm. Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden, instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now, but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth |
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Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 3:49 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
Jan tells us ....
Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam
REPLY
Jan, do prove that 10,000 people were
poisoned by amalgam. Could you be lying again?
Joel
"LadyLollipop" <LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:wvPge.76372$c24.6328@attbi_s72...
| Quote: | http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
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Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed to
a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian channel
NRK
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Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then, we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And, same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from "
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure, we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing "HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
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But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm. Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now, but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause health
problems.
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Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
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End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
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Ilena Rose
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 3:57 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
Thanks very much for this posting.
On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:02:20 GMT, "LadyLollipop"
<LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote:
| Quote: | http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
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a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed to a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian channel
NRK
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Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then, we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam. It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: ) neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And, same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle. Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from "
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure, we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing "HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over 150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm. Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden, instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now, but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
|
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| Back to top |
|
|
Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:53 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
| Quote: |
Thanks very much for this posting.
|
REPLY
Ilena,
Jan be lying again.
Joel
| Quote: |
On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:02:20 GMT, "LadyLollipop"
LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote:
http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that
more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants
were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed
to a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this
way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian
channel
NRK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of
mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue
until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then,
we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without
spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on
the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole
floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it
over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things
I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is
asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And,
same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every
time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine
test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from
"
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment
Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified
in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure,
we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the
air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this
measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing
"HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been
any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by
STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury
that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm.
Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no
one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the
people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now,
but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some
palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart
or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment
more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that
those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause
health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some
of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
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carabelli
Guest
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 5:24 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
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"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
| Quote: |
Thanks very much for this posting.
|
Gee, wish you had included the original post - oh well
carabelli |
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| Back to top |
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LadyLollipop
Guest
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 5:51 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
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"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
| Quote: |
Thanks very much for this posting.
|
You are welcom, it was my pleasure to inform the public.
LL/Jan
| Quote: |
On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:02:20 GMT, "LadyLollipop"
LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote:
http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed to
a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian channel
NRK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then, we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And, same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from "
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure, we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing "HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm. Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now, but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
|
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| Back to top |
|
|
Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:13 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
"carabelli" <huerter@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:1lTge.207413$cg1.191567@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
| Quote: |
"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
Thanks very much for this posting.
Gee, wish you had included the original post - oh well
carabelli
|
You didn't miss anything. It had to do with Jan
sending in her driver's license to prove that
10,000 people were poisoned by amalgam.
Joel |
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| Back to top |
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Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
"LadyLollipop" <LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:TKTge.75582$NU4.52801@attbi_s22...
| Quote: |
"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
Thanks very much for this posting.
You are welcom, it was my pleasure to inform the public.
LL/Jan
|
REPLY
Jan will continue to continue .......
| Quote: |
On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:02:20 GMT, "LadyLollipop"
LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote:
http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that
more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's
and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy
ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in
kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling
without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants
were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed
to
a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of
this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this
way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory
loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some
depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more
then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and
dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection
and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like
Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian
channel
NRK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of
mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam
as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue
until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then
shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until
it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then,
we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without
spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on
the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole
floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3
offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value
that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that
today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in
kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling
without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it
over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour,
every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But,
they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If
I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating
Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick,
they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you
were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on
that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching
one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things
I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is
asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis
Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And,
same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new,
but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of
Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said
that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research
organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember
yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen.
You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed
to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time
is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory
loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some
depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every
time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine
test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000)
out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian
Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from
"
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment
Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified
in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure,
we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we
crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the
air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this
measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing
"HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer
time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to
extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday,
over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an
uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been
any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by
STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury
that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm.
Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no
one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the
people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now,
but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some
palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart
or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have
never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment
more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that
those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some
of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause
health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span:
1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some
of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little
doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it
is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure
was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the
research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because
it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam
POSTED TO:
sci.med.dentistry,misc.health.alternative
Here we have a retired nursery school teacher or owner claiming 10,000
people were poisoned by amalgam. This implies that dentists are somehow
harming people.
Jan surfs the internet to find examples from her dubious sources.
It is noted that the ADA, the CDC, the USPHS, and all 53 dental schools all
agree that amalgam is not poison. It may not be as esthetic as composite,
but it is still a valuable filling material.
As retaliation, Jan Drew aka Lady Lollipop Goes on a rampage claiming
everyone else in the world is LYING. She has stated this over and over,
hundreds or perhaps thousands of times. So far, its a simple difference of
opinion, the professionals versus the hatemongers.
Those are the facts so far.
Joel M. Eichen, D.D.S.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
05/13/2005
***
"LadyLollipop" <LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:wvPge.76372$c24.6328@attbi_s72...
| Quote: | http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed to
a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian channel
NRK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then, we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And, same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from "
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure, we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing "HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm. Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now, but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LadyLollipop
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 11:40 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
"Joel M. Eichen" <joeleichen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:42849818_2@x-privat.org...
| Quote: |
"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
Thanks very much for this posting.
REPLY
Ilena,
Jan be lying again.
Joel
|
Pathetic, Jel, who just got reported AGAIN, *I* didn't write it.
LL/Jan
| Quote: | On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:02:20 GMT, "LadyLollipop"
LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote:
http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that
more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's
and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy
ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in
kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling
without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants
were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed
to a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of
this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this
way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory
loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some
depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more
then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and
dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection
and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like
Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian
channel
NRK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of
mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam
as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue
until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then
shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until
it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then,
we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without
spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on
the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole
floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3
offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value
that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that
today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in
kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling
without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it
over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour,
every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But,
they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If
I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating
Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick,
they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you
were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on
that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching
one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things
I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is
asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis
Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And,
same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new,
but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of
Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said
that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research
organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember
yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen.
You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed
to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time
is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory
loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some
depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every
time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine
test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000)
out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian
Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from
"
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment
Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified
in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure,
we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we
crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the
air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this
measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing
"HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer
time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to
extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday,
over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an
uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been
any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by
STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury
that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm.
Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no
one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the
people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now,
but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some
palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart
or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have
never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment
more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that
those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some
of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause
health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span:
1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some
of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little
doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it
is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure
was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the
research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because
it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat May 14, 2005 1:09 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
Who is this Jel guy?
Joel
"LadyLollipop" <LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:oo7he.78660$c24.16871@attbi_s72...
| Quote: |
"Joel M. Eichen" <joeleichen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:42849818_2@x-privat.org...
"Ilena Rose" <ilena@NOSPAMMINhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1br781d0p8jnm4cbjdndbn8snnvuql0vnr@4ax.com...
Thanks very much for this posting.
REPLY
Ilena,
Jan be lying again.
Joel
Pathetic, Jel, who just got reported AGAIN, *I* didn't write it.
LL/Jan
On Thu, 12 May 2005 21:02:20 GMT, "LadyLollipop"
LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote:
http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-----
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that
more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's
and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy
ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists
from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more
dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in
kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling
without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants
were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning
from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over
6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are
exposed
to a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal
exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of
this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily,
very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this
way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory
loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some
depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available
on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the
most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more
then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the
open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and
dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection
and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too
law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are
rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like
Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian
channel
NRK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
---
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
---
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all
the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards
of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without
spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of
mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam
as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air
cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then
50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue
until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then
shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until
it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it.
Then,
we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would
place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little
spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these
2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy.
Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands
and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without
spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled.
That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on
the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole
floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air,
but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit:
it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3
offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value
that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that
today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not
be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous
then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World
War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was
destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing
very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was
Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in
kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling
without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it
over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there,
then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour,
every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing
it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to
become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But,
they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger.
If
I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating
Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and
that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick,
they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you
were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected
dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with
few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on
that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching
one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things,
things
I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I
needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is
asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis
Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss
of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And,
same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new,
but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. ..
I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for
"happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of
Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who
were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose
it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have
problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said
that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His
opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam
Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading
experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research
organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic
amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember
yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen.
You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed
to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal
exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study,
is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's
capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time
is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is
impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory
loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some
depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every
time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work,
but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg
of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine
test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000)
out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian
Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers
from
"
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment
Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who
testified
in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the
subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To
measure,
we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose
in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at
the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we
crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the
air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of
Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this
measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing
"HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How
much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure
it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer
time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to
extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that
they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday,
over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an
uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority)
have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was
no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been
any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we
were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by
STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
---
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury
that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in
over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm.
Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not
working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was
leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer
formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no
one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the
people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now,
but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with
Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some
palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very
smart
or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late
as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have
never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment
more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good
enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself
and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not
estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too
law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General
Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that
those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively
too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no
doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses
of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some
of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause
health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10
times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000
women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span:
1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and
some
of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little
doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it
is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very
bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure
was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination
of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the
research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and
neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results
of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because
it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she
is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health
Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and
to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury
Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying
to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a
new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new
pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If
you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
---
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
---
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep
kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LadyLollipop
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat May 14, 2005 1:54 am Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
"Joel M. Eichen" <joeleichen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4284a44f_1@x-privat.org...
| Quote: | Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam
POSTED TO:
sci.med.dentistry,misc.health.alternative
Here we have a retired nursery school teacher or owner claiming 10,000
people were poisoned by amalgam.
|
Lie #1
This implies that dentists are somehow
Lie #2
| Quote: | Jan surfs the internet to find examples from her dubious sources.
|
Lie # 3
It came to me.
| Quote: | It is noted that the ADA, the CDC, the USPHS, and all 53 dental schools
all
agree that amalgam is not poison. It may not be as esthetic as composite,
but it is still a valuable filling material.
|
The ADA Principals of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct Sect E under
Research and Development, "The dentist has the obligation to make known to
all the results of his investigations if they have an effect on public
health."
| Quote: |
As retaliation, Jan Drew aka Lady Lollipop Goes on a rampage claiming
everyone else in the world is LYING.
|
Lie # 4
She has stated this over and over,
| Quote: | hundreds or perhaps thousands of times. So far, its a simple difference of
opinion, the professionals versus the hatemongers.
|
W R O N G.
| Quote: | Those are the facts so far.
Joel M. Eichen, D.D.S.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
05/13/2005
|
Below are posts by a professional dentist who used to post on smd, and still
does from time to time, and his opinion of Joel..
Plus, one who is still there.
==
I hope most open-minded people will view Joel's attempts to characterise
the
PHS report as proving that amalgams are safe, as a gross misrepresentation
of the facts.
People who rely on professionals to know their stuff, deserve better.
Hi Judge Joel,
You are representing the most prejudicial attitude I saw in a
long time. Did you get that from being a judge during the witch-
processes in a former life, or what?
Either you are grossly misinformed or you are intentionally
spreading blatant lies.
Hans
=====
Dear Dr. Eichen,
| Quote: |
It's unfortunate that you don't have anything more constructive to do
with your life other than amusing yourself and your colleague dentists
by doing internet searches of my name. Am I really that important? I'm
flattered!!!
The bridge incident was no a laughing matter, it was police abuse. For
your information, the "bridge" incident was overturned by an honest
judge in superior court, who was outraged by the police action.
I recommend that you do something more constructive and positive with
your time to help humanity. Why don't you help your colleagues by
informing them of the truth about the toxicity of their daily exposure
to mercury from working with amalgam, including your own exposure.
Yep, well said. She nailed you good.
Frankly, you're an embarrassment to your profession and a danger to
the public if you are placing mercury amalgam fillings. Haven't you
read the most recent reports from Sweden, Norway and other countries
who have for years warned against placing amalgam fillings in children
and pregnant women.... these countries are banning the use of mercury
amalgams.
|
Refer your colleagues to WWW.TOXICTEETH.ORG, WWW.TESTFOUNDATION.ORG,
| Quote: | WWW.IAOMT.ORG, http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/indexa.html,
and give them the studies which show that dentists have the highest
rate of suicide professionaly in this country.
I suggest you keep up with the significant news of the day.....or are
you still reading comic books.
|
===
To everyone who do not understand why Joel wants to make
a complete fool out of himself,
Wrong again ! Show me where I ever used the word "tweezers" !
If you cannot support your repeated allegations I can only
conclude you made a pretty big fool out of yourself - again !
Cheers,
Hans
Joel M. Eichen wrote:
| Quote: | The readers will decide!
|
Indeed !
The fun part is that this is all about your mind - what
you thought that I said. Sofar you have not been able
to point out anything, in spite of all your re-postings,
to support what you claim I said. And I'm still waiting!
Hans
Joel M. Eichen wrote:
| Quote: | At least we settled ...
|
I've been settling fine all along. I am waiting for you to prove
that your allegations are right. Or to watch you trying to
wiggle your way of this. So Joel, which one will it be?
Joel wrote:
| Quote: | Hans said Dentatus should be inserted, preferably with tweezers
|
Hans replied:
| Quote: | Not with one word did I reveal how I work with the Dentatus. Not
one single word! Neither did I mention the word "tweezers" !
|
Still waiting ....
Hans
Joel M. Eichen wrote:
| Quote: | Funny. Hans turning the circumstance around . . . .
|
That was a nice attempt to wiggle. What's next?
Sill waiting for you to prove that your allegations are right.
Or to keep on watching you wiggle until you smoke yourself.
Which one is next? Smoke or standard smokescreen?
Hans
Everything else here is Joel's attempts to make a huge
smokescreen so no one will spot him in his attempts to
pry his foot out of his mouth. Thats all there is
| Quote: | Nelson wrote:
I had to unblock Joel to remove his expected excuse for attacking me
non-public in private e-mail and copied the following to see his style in
the group for all to see. As usual, he ignors the question asked and
starts
quoting the same BS.
I never said what you state below I said. Let me rephrase the question.
Are you saying mercury does no hard to the human body? NOw that is the
question, Joel. Please a simple answer. If the government agencies,
"CDC,
USPHS and 53 dental schools" say something, it means it is absolutely the
truth? What an obsurd correlation made by you.
Notice how the comment by LD Pankey was taken completely out of context.
A
quote of a man was given about whether a person can change much (I was
referring to you, Joel) and you make the ignorant statement you did about
what he taught. Precisely because you have not studied what he taught and
yet have a strong judgement against him shows your ignorance and
predjudice.
Do not put words in my mouth or characterize what I saw differently than
actually said for your own means. I believe the reason the CDC, USPHS,
being government agencies, will err on the side of caution before they
state
that amalgam is harmful. Quite frankly, I do not think it a lot more
harmful than the air breathed in Southern California. This doesn't make
the
air in Southern California clean, though. I suppose you are an expert on
the air in Southern California and will state that since the air quality
is
in "acceptable limits" and there isn't a cig alert (limit activities and
stay inside as much as possible) that there is nothing wrong with the air.
I choose to not do amalgams because I believe the difference between them
and today's resins (less than 1/3 the occl table) are not significant
enough
to place a known toxin in someones mouth. This is a personal decision. I
also do a lot of gold work and, probably unlike you Joel, I trust my
patients and they pay me $50 a month and we do good dentistry.
I am blocking you from my personal e-mail access, but will let the
newsgroup
stay open for a while so you can prove why you are probably the most
blocked
smd user of all time. I respect your right to state an opinion, I just
don't have to read it.
Other comments in text:
|
Subject: Re: Outta here for awhile
From: "Dr. Steve" smancus.takeout@home.msen.com
Date: 3/18/03 10:17 PM US Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: <v7fo43feqokq88@corp.supernews.com>
See Joel???
Your constant ridiculous cross posting of stuff no one but you is interested
in has driven more people off this forum. Before long. it will be just the
Eichen cross posting news.
| Quote: |
***
"LadyLollipop" <LadyLollipop@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:wvPge.76372$c24.6328@attbi_s72...
http://curezone.com/forums/m.asp?f=83&i=473
10,000 People Poisoned by Amalgam, New Blogs, News
Free CureZone Newsletter is sponsored by www.netatlantic.com
25,044 subscribers ... Subscribe here
Cut, copy, reproduce and forward freely.
Read newsletter online at http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
a.. NRK, Norwegian state owned TV Channel, reported yesterday that
more
then 10,000 dentist assistants were exposed to extremely high
concentrations
of Mercury fumes, while working with Amalgam during 60's, 70''s, 80's and
even early 90's. Whole Norway was watching this report, and after the
report, NRK news reported about the large number of phone calls from
dentist
assistants. The report was long overdue, cause Norwegian healthy ministry
knew about dangerous effects of Mercury since 1981, when scientists from
Bergen University warned health authorities about dangers of
Copper -Amalgam, a form of dental Amalgam containing 70% mercury.
Copper -Amalgam is softer then usual amalgam, and much more dangerous,
cause it is leaking mercury much more.
Unfortunately, Copper-Amalgam was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
Norwegian authorities finally admitted that many dentist assistants
were
exposed to large concentration of mercury fumes.
Diana Echeverria, one of the leading experts on mercury poisoning from
Seattle, USA, stated: I would be willing to state on record that those
people should be evaluated, absolutely. They were exposed to too high
levels of mercury.
At Battelle, Seattle, USA, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants from USA. Their conclusion us that
dentist
personnel is measurably affected by mercury, even when they are exposed
to
a
very low doses of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies. Once the results of this
research are published, they will create a big bang in the field of
mercury
toxicity.
Diana Echeverria: A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very
firmly in their fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this
way
... is impaired when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Curezone blogger Rune have taken time to translate the transcript of
this
report into English language and complete transcript is now available on
his
blog: http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=297&i=1
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
A report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists in
Norway
poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam
Dentist Assistants Poisoned with Amalgam
Brennpunkt: Amalgam poisoning and dentist assistants
http://www7.nrk.no/nrkplayer/?klipp_id=85139
NRK May 10th 2005 Norway http://nrk.no/
This report was aired on May 10th 2005 at the prime time, on the most
widely available TV Chanell in Norway: NRK1
It will be again aired tomorrow.
After the report, evening news on NRK1 reported they received more then
1000 phone calls, thanking for the report, and many phonecalls from
dentist
assistants confirming that they are suffereing from the same symptoms.
It is about time for the truth about amalgam to come out in the open!
This is a report about more then 10 000 dentist assistants and dentists
in
Norway poisoned on their job, while working with Amalgam.
About governmental organizations and experts who failed to warn and
protect dentists and their assistants about dangers of amalgam and
mercury.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has not prioritized inspection and
has not estimated the risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
About doctors who refuse to diagnose mercury poisoning and are rather
giving "happiness pills" and pain killers and diagnoses like Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, Hypochondria.
Transcript of the report that was aired on may 10th on Norwegian
channel
NRK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Reporter: "It was dentist assistants that were making Amalgam, all the
way
to late nineties (90's) they worked under totally different standards of
hygiene then today. They were daily in contact with Mercury (Hg).
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse started working as dentist assistant 1971.
She was assisting dentist, receiving patients and she was making
Amalgam.
Amalgam was made inside "Amalgamator", blending machine, and that
machine
had to be filled before use.
Gerd Irene Lyse: To fill mercury into the Amalgamator without spilling
some drops was next to impossible.
Reporter: Does it mean that you were spilling mercury on the floor?
Irene Lyse: Yes
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Irene Lyse: Yes, we had a special technique to collect drops of
mercury.
We would take rests of amalgam, and would collect mercury with amalgam as
amalgam acted like absorbent for mercury.
Reporter: Mercury is constantly evaporating and mixing with air cause
that's how mercury is. Gerd Irene Lyse worked for a dentist who was
working
with very soft Amalgam. It means the Amalgam contained far more then 50%
Mercury. It was very easy to work with such soft Amalgam.
Irene Lyse: I gave him Amalgam, and he would take it with his hands,
between his fingers, he was using a tissue, he would turn the tissue
until
small drops of mercury would appear at it's ends, and he would then shake
it
until drops of mercury would fall down on the carpet.
Reporter: Yesterday, in Telemark, we met Tordis Klausen. She began
working
as a dentist assistant 1969. And, like most of the other dentist
assistants,
she was daily kneading mercury with her bare hands to keep it soft.
Tordis Klausen: I would take it over in my hands, and knead it until it
became a homogenous mass. There we were standing and kneading it. Then,
we
were holding it in our hands, and after a while when dentist would place
amalgam into the patient's teeth, we would place it on a little spaltel.
Reporter: Did you wear glows while you were doing it?
Tordis Klausen: No, not 1969.
Reporter: Was is written that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: Did you get any information that it could be dangerous?
Tordis Klausen: No.
Reporter: This is the machine used for mixing Amalgam. Inside these 2
holes assistant would fill at least 50% Mercury, and rest alloy. Machine
would mix materials until dentist assistant would take it with hands and
knead it. Tordis Klausen too had problems filling machine without
spilling
drops of mercury.
Tordis Klausen: Everybody knows that some drops would be spilled. That
is
why we would add more mercury, and then some of it would spill down on
the
floor, and it would break into very many small drops over the whole
floor.
Reporter: Did you collect it?
Tordis Klausen: We would never have time to do it.
Reporter: There are limits on how much mercury can be in the air, but
those limits differ extremely.
Air limit for one 8 hours working day in Norway is today 50µg Hg per
cubic
meter (m3) of air. (µg = micro gram = 1/1,000,000 gram = one millionth
part
of a gram).
WHO (World Health Organization) has at the moment much lower limit: it
is
20 µg Hg/m3 air.
One survey of 15 dentist offices performed by Norwegian Labour
Inspection
Authority 1973 shows average value to be 28µg Hg/m3 of air, but 3 offices
have much higher values. One was kept outside this report with value that
was 400 µg/m3 of air. This report confirms Tordis Klausen's and Irene
Lyse's
story.
They were spilling mercury in offices, there was no appropriate
ventilation, and mercury was handled with bare hands.
No expert the Brennpunk was in contact with would have done that today!
Especially not here, at the " Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)"
(State Labor Environment Institute) where all most reputable Norwegian
experts in this field are.
STAMI Expert: I believe that it is important to look at it in the
context
of the time they were doing it . but today . such situation would not be
acceptable. That time we thought that mercury is far less poisonous then
what later was discovered.
Reporter: But, it was actually much worst. After the Second World War,
Scandinavia had a huge tooth-hole problem. Dental Caries was destroying
the
teeth of adults and children. Such teeth were not unusual. [Showing very
poor teeth.] Something had to be done and the weapon was Copper-Amalgam.
It
was composed of 70% Mercury, and was ideal for use on milk teeth in kids.
Copper was killing bacteria, and it was possible to place filling without
that tooth had to be dry or clean.
But, Copper-Amalgam had one huge disadvantage: It had to be cooked
first.
Tordis Klausen: It was in very small tablets, and we had to heat it
over
the open flame until pearls of mercury appear on the outside. Then, we
would
take it into another container, and it was crushed and mixed there, then
we
would take it into our hands, and would be standing and kneading it.
Reporter:That is what Tordis Klausen has done every half an hour, every
day for many years. but at the end of seventies, she got sick. After a
long
time of being sick, she got Disability Pension.
Gard Irene Lyse was also working with Copper-Amalgam. She was doing it
from 1971 until the end of eighties. She went to a high school to become
Dentist Assistant, and Copper-Amalgam was a part of curriculum. But, they
never told her that it could be dangerous.
Gerd Irene Lyse : No, it was never said anything about the danger. If I
knew, I would have never done it.
Reporter: You have been lectured on this method (heating Copper-Amalgam
tablets)
Gerd Irene Lyse : Yes, it was very common. It was used daily, and that
was
what we were working most with.
After a while, when Gerd Irene Lyse and urdis Klausen become sick, they
got one message from doctors, researcher, social system and justice
system:
"Your health problems are not caused by mercury cause doses that you were
exposed to were too low."
Arbeidstilsynet / Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority had
responsibility
to insure that working place is safe. They should have inspected dentist
offices, but they did not discover that something was wrong.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As I said, we have done research 1973 and
concluded that level of exposure was acceptable though possibly with few
exceptions.
Reporter: Have you had any idea that something couldhave been wrong?
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: That time, as I said, we did not focus on that.
But, Tordis Klausen was sick at the end of seventies (70's).
After several years with mercury fumes, symptoms appeared crouching one
after another.
Tordis Klausen : When dentist asked me to do most usual things, things
I
have done for many years, suddenly, I stopped: "What is that?" I needed
several minutes to come to myself, and to remember what is it he is
asking
me to do. Loss of memory was getting worse, and in the end it was so
extreme
that I totally lost sense for orientation.
Reporter: But, after a while ... it was more. Much More! Tordis Klausen
developed next problems: (on the screen, problems are listed: )
neurological
problems, inability to concentrate, shaking, loss of memory and loss of
orientation, pain, respiratory problems, cramps, .
Tordis Klausen : One day, I was getting so strong cramps all over my
body.
I was sitting inside bath, and cramps were strong and I totally lost
concentration.
Reporter: Also Gerd Irene Lyse got sick while she was working. And,
same
like with Tordis Klausen, symptoms were appearing gradually.
Gerd Irene Lyse : I was loosing my memory, there were things I new, but
I
was totally blocked, . There was a doctor that said I was not sick. .. I
got
diagnosed with Parkinson's December 2000, just before Christmas.
Reporter: Do you think your problems are caused by mercury?
Gerd Irene Lyse: I am totally convinced.
Reporter: But, the problem was, nobody else believed that it was
mercury.
Through many years, answer from doctors was a prescription for "happines
pill" Others that Brennpunkt contacted gave her directions to
Hypochondriac
Clinic.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning are extremely similar to psychological
ailments.
And, women that need help are in their fifties and sixties.
In Stockholm we met Maths Berlin . He is the professor of Environmental
Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Lund.
He specializes in Mercury toxicity, and was one of the people who were
working on the Mercury Exposure Limits suggested by WHO.
Maths Berlin confirms that it is difficult to come up with clear
diagnosis.
Maths Berlin: Doctors have very little knowledge about the risk of
Mercury
Poisoning. They have never learned about it and they never diagnose it.
Maths Berlin believes that up to 500,000 Swedish citizens have problems
caused by mercury.
Reporter: Berlin knows very well about dentist assistants. He said that
they have been working daily and breathing too much mercury. His opinion
is
that even exposure limits sat today are too high.
Maths Berlin: Zero exposition to mercury is best. All biological
organisms
are affected by mercury.
Reporter is now in USA:
Washington, Seattle: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and
Evaluation
More Info: Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
Reporter: Seattle , here we can find some of the world leading experts
on
mercury poisoning research.
Nobody knows more about Dentists and Dentist assistants then the
researchers here. They are connected to Battelle, a research organization
with departments in many countries.
In USA they are doing a lot of work for the US Government.
Battelle Expert : Today, we are going to run through a battery of
behavioral tests, so, what I'm gonna do is start the test right here .
Reporter: At Battelle, mercury researchers have examined over 6000
dentists and dentist assistants.
Battelle Expert (to persons being tested): Welcome to the Battelle.
Today
you will be taking a series of tests that evaluate your memory,
coordination, response time, visual analysis and concentration.
Reporter: These are the tests that can show if someone is suffering
neurological damage seen in people ho have been exposed to toxic amounts
of
mercury. Right here, they are testing memory: you have to remember yellow
boxes and the order by what thye were arranged on the coputer screen. You
have to arrange them as fast as you can.
Dental office personnel who has been examined here, has been exposed to
a
very low levels of mercury, 10 times lower then what was normal exposure
of
dental health workers in Norway up to seventies.
And, even at such small doses, they were able to detect the damages.
Diana Echeverria (Battelle Expert, Author of the behavioral study, is
demonstarting different way how people are tested ): A person's capacity
to
move their finger from here to here as fast as possible, reaction time is
slowed down.
A person's capacity to hold something steadily, very firmly in their
fingers, and not jiggle, and not move this way or this way . is impaired
when someone has a fair amount of exposure to mercury.
A person's ability to recall numbers is worse, so their attention is
lower. We see increased symptomology mostly in complaints of memory loss,
concentration and anxiety. We see some mood problems and some depression.
Reporter (explaining the test): This is one test for shaking. Every
time
the pin touches the edge of the circle, it gets registered.
Dentist assistants in Diana Echeverria's survey are able to work, but
doses of mercury they were exposed to were very low.
At higher does, symptoms will increase.
Urine test taken while you are working can tell how much mercury is
inside
of you. In examination done here in USA , dentist assistants had 4µg of
mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has never got a chance to take urine
test
while she was working. But, one of her friends, dentist assistant, was
tested and she has had 60 µg of mercury in urine. Tordis Klausen has
applied
for Work Related Injury Compensation but has not got it. Many years of
court
battle, a lot of research, and 2 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 320,000) out
of
the pocket, she spent to run the case to the top of the Norwegian Justice
System, but she lost on all instances. As late as 1999, researchers from
"
Statens Arbeidsmiljĝinstitutt (STAMI)" (State Labor Environment
Institute)
were testifying as expert witnesses in court and claiming that mercury
exposure levels were too low to cause health problems.
STAMI Expert: I can't comment on this case as we are here going into
individual cases and I don't wish to comment on it. That being said, I
want
to make clear that STAMI has many highly qualified people who testified
in
many court cases.
But, in court, they represent competence and they represent only
themselves, they don't represent the official STAMI view on the subject.
Reporter: This is Nils Roar Gjerdet , Professor of Odontology at the
University of Bergen. Inside of his storage, we find Copper-Amalgam.
We will now try to find out how much mercury is released when we do
exactly what dentist assistants were doing several times a day.
The difference is: We have glows, and protective clothes. To measure,
we
have with us a labor hygiene professional. Remember that allowed dose in
Norway is 50µg Hg per cubic meter of air (over 8 hours working day).
Nils Roar Gjerdet (while worming up 2 Copper-Amalgam tablets inside
small
container over the open flame): Now, drops of mercury are visible at the
surface of tablets, so now we take them into other container and we crush
them and mix them.
Labor hygiene professional is measuring the level of mercury in the
air,
she is holding instrument as far from heated tablest as the head of Nils
Ove
Gjerde is.
Labor hygiene professional: Now, we are over the limit of this
measuring
device that is over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : So, it is happening while we are mixing amalgam.
Labor hygiene professional: Yes.
Reporter: Every time we were measuring, the instrument was showing
"HL",
High Level. that means over 1000 µg Hg per cubic meter of air. How much
over, we don't know . we don't have the instrument that can measure it.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : If this is happening repeatedly over a longer time,
then it is of serious concern. The danger of getting exposed to extremely
high levels of mercury is very, very high.
Reporter: Some of those dentist assistants we contacted said that they
have been done it every half an hour, every day, Monday to Saturday, over
many years. What do you think about that?
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Then, I believe that they have been exposed to
extremely high mercury doses during the working day.
Diana Echeverria(USA): That is very high, especially in an uncontrolled
environment, without any ventilation, or without being in a hood, or
without
heaving special controls. Yea, that's extremely high.
Reporter: Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) have
responsibility to inspect working place. Last 3 weeks they have gone
through
everything they have of documents and it is clear now that there was no
any
Inspection.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: As far as I have seen, there have never been
any
systematic control done. We had very few stick controls.
Reporter: That was the only form for control, because experts agreed
that
the work inside dentist office was not dangerous. And experts were the
same,
year after year.
Arbeidstilsynet Expert: If we go back to 60s, 70s, 80's , then we were
still using as the bases of our opinion the same report provided by
STAMI.
Reporter: And these were the expert consultants to Arbeidstilsynet
(Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority).
Researchers at STAMI have previously claimed that doses are too low.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
But now, they are changing their opinion.
STAMI expert: It is a very high dose. When we are talking about 1
milligram, then we are beginning to talk about a lot of mercury. We
actually
have some experience with similar doses. That is the level of mercury
that
was inside mercury mines where miners were poisoned almost without
exception.
Reporter: Amalgam was used as tooth filling material of choice in over
150
years. And, all of that time, there were warnings. Also about
Copper-Amalgam.
Already 1936 Karl Schmidt Fieseldeck at the University of Ċrhus was
warning against mercury: It was dangerous for dental personnel.
The warning was repeated 1957 at the dentist school in Stockholm.
Copper
Amalgam was classified as high risk material.
Last warning came from Nils Roar Gjerdet and his colleagues from the
University of Bergen 1981.
Nils Roar Gjerdet : Our focus, 1981, at the beginning, was not working
environment, but it was the alarming amount of mercury that was leaking
from
the amalgam fillings, so we decided to warn health authorities at the
time,
and they reacted.
Reporter: But, reaction from health minister was much nicer formulated
then what the experts suggested. Copper-amalgam was not forbidden,
instead,
it has been said that it should be used with extreme caution.
The letter (1981) was supposedly sent to all dentist offices, but no
one
we have spoken with remembers that letter?!?
Tordis Klausen: No, I have never seen that letter.
Reporter: So, you have never seen this letter circulating?
Tordis Klausen: No, I so it first time in the hands of one of the
people
working in Arbeidstilsinet, early nineties.
Gerd Irene Lyse: We have not known anything about that. We know now,
but
if I have known about it before, I would have never worked with
Copper-Amalgam.
Reporter: Gerd Irene Lyse began to work seriously with Copper-Amalgam
1981, the same year the warning from health minister went out about
Copper-Amalgam. And, she was working with it until late 80's. Some
palaces
Copper-Amalgam was used until 1994.
STAMI experts are surprised about this.
STAMI expert: Warming-up mercury has never been considered very smart
or
safe practice. So, I am very surprised that it was practiced as late as
you
say.
Reporter: As Inspection Authority ,when you saw that people are
warming-up
the mercury, should have not you done something about that?
Arbeidstilsynet representative: Of course, but as I said, we have never
seen it like that, we heard about it, but I don't think I can comment
more
about this, but it is possible that our procedures were not good enough
that
time.
Reporter: Tordis Klausen was fighting hopeless battle for herself and
her
peers.
Health ministry has known about risks, but has not warned enough.
Arbeidstilsynet have not prioritized inspection and have not estimated
the
risks.
Researchers have prioritized but have assumed that doses were too law.
Justice system have chosen not to believe to Tordis Klausen.
Very few were ever able to pass by the Doctors, General Practitioners
who
were convinced that they are mentally sick.
But, there is somebody who believes them.
Diana Echeverria (USA): I would be willing to state on record that
those
people should be evaluated, absolutely.
Reporter: Is it possible to say that those doses are definitively too
low,
that they could have not been affected?
Diana Echeverria (USA): NO! No!.
Also Maths Berlin in Stocholm means that there is absolutely no doubt
that
some of the dental personnel was exposed to the extremely high doses of
mercury.
Maths Berlin: Without protection, without ventilation, no doubt some of
them were exposed to too high doses. On the long run, it will cause
health
problems.
---------
Section for Labor Medicine at the University of Bergen has examined
dentist assistants after the request from Brennpunkt, NRK1.
All of them were working during the same time span: 1960 - 1990.
25% of them reports that they often or very often have neurological
problems.
They have been compared with a group of Nurses of same age.
Dentist assistants score sky high over Nurses on 4 points: (On the
screen,
graphs are shown, showung that Dentist assistants had from 2 to 10 times
more symptoms when comapred with nurses. )
1.. Tremor / shaking
2.. Heart and lung problems.
3.. Depression
4.. Lack of memory / memory failure
Reporter: Extremely conservative estimation would be that 10,000 women
were working as dentist assistants in Norway during the time span: 1960 -
1990
Not all of them were working under equally bad circumstances and some
of
them tolerate mercury better then the others. But there is a little doubt
that many have inhaled too much toxic fumes.
STAMI has concluded the same in an interview with us.
But, there is now a new problem.
The lack of data and the lack of urine tests is why STAMI states: it is
impossible for them to find out more about what has happened.
STAMI expert: The biggest part of the problem is that we have very bad
documentation on the individual level: how much and how high exposure was
on
every single person, and that makes research difficult or impossible.
Reporter : But, others do not agree with STAMI.
Maths Berlin states that it is possible to do brain MRI examination of
dental assistants. MRI will be sufficient enough to chart damages and
injuries.
In USA, Diana Echeverria relieve that it is possible to do the research
the way she has done it: with the help of survey forms and neurological
tests.
Researchers of the In the University of Bergen states that results of
the
research that they have done is so alarming that they are ready to go
further with it. But, in that case, someone must come with money.
If that doesn't happen, then the answer will not come before dentist
assistants are dead. Under autopsy, mercury is found in brain.
Today, there are strict restrictions on the use of mercury and
Environment
Protection Minister is considering total ban on use of Mercury because it
is
so toxic.
Nobody said that to Tordis Klausen. She didn't know that job she is
doing
every day can lead to poisoning. She found that out alone. Today, she is
angry with everyone who should have known.
Tordis Klausen : Norwegian Health Ministry, Social Health Department,
Communal and Labor Department, STAMI, Norwegian Labour Inspection
Authority,
they are responsible! They have had responsibility to inform us, and to
give
us knowledge how to protect us.
No one of those women have received Work Related Injury Compensation.
Last years, Gerd Irene Lyse has gone from doctor to doctor, trying to
find
one that wants to listen to her.
Reporter: Irene Lyse, you re 50 years old, and you are on Disability
Pension.
Irene Lyse: Yes, unfortunately, I am unable to work.
Reporter: 2 days after this interview, I went with Irene Lyse to a new
doctor with hope that he will listen to her. Doctor offered one new pain
killer. Later, we found out is an anti-depressant.
This report will be aired again on Thursday, May 12, at 10:30. If you
need
to talk with someone, you can call +47 55 27 57 96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
End of Brennpunkt report.
NRK web site: http://nrk.no/
Transleted by Rune from a report aired in Norwegian Language.
Related Articles:
a.. Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg
b.. Mercury from dental "silver" tooth fillings impairs sheep kidney
function
c.. Dental amalgam under the microscope
d.. the mercury in your teeth
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Dr. Jochen Kulow
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
Well,
amalgam discussion is on for years now here in germany.
Well mercury is known to have toxic effects. And thats why we in germany
have a fully legal drug against mercury poisoning.
To the filling i can state the following. Doing Amalgam removements for
years it is true that amalgam move into the tooth. you can see enormous
black areas under the filling when not placed with underfilling. So
Amalgams are active fillings and they are of course loosing mercury.
I also have a lot of people having problems with dental amalgams. Using
Applied Kinesiology you can test the bodies reaction to Amalgam. Doing
special type of acupuncture I can also verify by that method.
Also it is true, when you search for mercury poisoning by dental amalgam
norwegian dental schools are the world leader in publications for this
issue. They have proven more then once that mercury blood level
correlates with number of filling. They also showed that students of
dentistry had more then doubled their blood levels of mercury after one
week of special amalgam filling course.
To me its obvious that amalgam looses mercury and is also intoxicating
the dentist. Because of that I only remove dental amalgam with special
face mask and HGP3 filters by 3M, which are only produced in the US.
Expensive, ok, but my health is worth more than that.
I do those anti-amalgam treatments for years and I can report that most
patients feel much better without amalgam inoxication. I do
detoxification for myself on an permanent basis. And I can report the
same effects.
I know that amalgam is a perfect filling material but I also know that
admitting amalgam is toxic would cause huge costs for insurances in the
whole world.
To me the amalgam discussion is about MONEY not about HEALTH.
JK
--
Dr. Jochen Kulow |email: jochen.kulowNOSPAM
Zahnarzt/Dentist | (at)dentalmail.de
|remove NOSPAM
|PGP: http://wwwkeys.de.pgp.net
|HP: http://www.dr-kulow.de
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Joel M. Eichen
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
"Dr. Jochen Kulow" <jochenkulowNOSPAM@tiscali.de> wrote in message
news:d67eav$15m0$1@ulysses.news.tiscali.de...
| Quote: | Well,
amalgam discussion is on for years now here in germany.
Well mercury is known to have toxic effects. And thats why we in germany
have a fully legal drug against mercury poisoning.
|
REPLY
We do too. Miners using mercury and felt-hat
manufacturers must be very careful. In all of
toxicology, "the dose is the poison."
Joel
| Quote: | To the filling i can state the following. Doing Amalgam removements for
years it is true that amalgam move into the tooth. you can see enormous
black areas under the filling when not placed with underfilling. So
Amalgams are active fillings and they are of course loosing mercury.
|
Yup, "losing mercury" actually.
| Quote: | I also have a lot of people having problems with dental amalgams. Using
Applied Kinesiology you can test the bodies reaction to Amalgam. Doing
special type of acupuncture I can also verify by that method.
|
How so?
Has this been tested?
| Quote: |
Also it is true, when you search for mercury poisoning by dental amalgam
norwegian dental schools are the world leader in publications for this
issue.
|
Yes, but did you know the root of the
word "norwegian" and root for "Ouija Board" is the same?
(joking here).
They have proven more then once that mercury blood level
| Quote: | correlates with number of filling. They also showed that students of
dentistry had more then doubled their blood levels of mercury after one
week of special amalgam filling course.
|
Tsk, tsk. Those boys better be more careful.
| Quote: |
To me its obvious that amalgam looses mercury and is also intoxicating
the dentist. Because of that I only remove dental amalgam with special
face mask and HGP3 filters by 3M, which are only produced in the US.
Expensive, ok, but my health is worth more than that.
|
Yup.
I personally prefer an entire wind tunnel, exiting not
to the outside but to a huge underwater scavenging system.
| Quote: | ts for years and I can report that most
patients feel much better without amalgam inoxication.
|
How so?
Is this double-blind studied or anecdotal? Is it wise to use anecdotal
evidence for patient therapy?
Joel M. Eichen DDS
Philadelphia PA, US of A.
I also know that
| Quote: | admitting amalgam is toxic would cause huge costs for insurances in the
whole world.
To me the amalgam discussion is about MONEY not about HEALTH.
JK
--
Dr. Jochen Kulow |email: jochen.kulowNOSPAM
Zahnarzt/Dentist | (at)dentalmail.de
|remove NOSPAM
|PGP: http://wwwkeys.de.pgp.net
|HP: http://www.dr-kulow.de
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Guest
|
| Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 9:54 pm Post subject: Re: 10,000 People Poisoned By Amalgam |
|
|
Dr. Jochen Kulow wrote:
| Quote: | Well,
amalgam discussion is on for years now here in germany.
Well mercury is known to have toxic effects. And thats why we in
germany
have a fully legal drug against mercury poisoning.
|
Dr. Kulow,
Can you relate the legal history of amalgam in Germany.
For example, what is the status now. Is it banned, discouraged
from use or used with warnings. When first did the the public
become aware of amalgam problems and what was the first year in
Germany that any resticrictions where issued for amalgam?
When you say "fully legal drug against mercury poisoning"
are you saying that certain treatments are used and accepted
by the mainstream medical community or do you mean that
amalgam is considered equal to a drug in terms of adverse
effects from Hg. Also can you describe generally the feeling of
doctors in Germany about Hg toxicty and what tests are
currently used to assess toxicity. |
|
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