"New Research Finds Mercury Fillings Are Safe" was the bold headline from the first major news service story last week that addressed two government funded studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The first fact listed in the article very near its beginning was that there were "higher levels of mercury in children's urine after they received amalgam fillings" according to one of the two studies.
Does that sound safe?
All the way at the other end of the article it was noted "that dentists and dental assistants have motor function and cognitive deficits that correlate with the number of fillings they've put in" according to another medical doctor cited in a third article in JAMA.
That doesn’t sound so safe as the headline indicates.
The very end of the article noted that previously "the lead researcher had already testified for the American Dental Association on the safety of amalgam fillings" with reference to the other of the two studies
Does that sound like his mind was already made up prior to the facts being known?
"This was a handpicked group. They were already advocates for mercury fillings," said Charlie Brown in the article. Brown was identified as national counsel for Consumers for Dental Choice, a group that favors banning mercury-containing fillings altogether.
Delving deeper
A second major news service story appeared less than an hour later and referred to silver fillings seven times. The main ingredient in these fillings -- also called amalgams – is mercury that makes up about half of the material.
Why are these dental products commonly referred to as “silver” or “amalgam” fillings when they are predominantly mercury products? Is there something to hide?
This second article did refer just once to “mercury amalgams”. However that was in a quote from the lead author of the research study citing it as harmless. Yet the same quote noted that IQ in the mercury group “was exactly the same as those that received the composite”. That contradicts the facts of the study.
Really getting deep
AP weighed in several hours later as witness to this tale. The opening statement of the AP story noted that researchers “found no evidence that dental fillings containing mercury can cause IQ-lowering brain damage”.
Immediately following that statement was “Children with such fillings were no more likely than other youngsters to suffer such problems” as though placing an exclamation point on the opening statement.
Yet much later in the same article it quoted the study authors as noting that the “possibility of very small adverse effects of amalgam on IQ score cannot be completely ruled out”.
A plea for reasoned inquiry
In the classic tale ‘Anatomy of a Murder’ an elaborate defense was put together to excuse admitted harm.
In this modern ‘Anatomy of a Mercury Tale’ the defense has fabricated a web woven together that admits no harm at all.
Why are primarily mercury fillings referred to commonly rather as “silver” or “amalgams”?
Why are warnings sounded against consuming nutrient abundant cold water ocean fish due to mercury content but dental materials having no nutrition at all are recommended for permanent placement right in a child’s head by BIG government, BIG pharma and BIG media?
Will the masses ever figure out that the abundant levels of the protective mineral element selenium offset the mercury in cold water fish – that is also an abundant source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids?
Will the masses ever figure out that the unholy trinity of BIG government, BIG pharma and BIG media works together as one in its own very best interests that are decidedly against the very best interests of you and yours, and me and mine?
