Psycho/ogical Reports, 1992, 70, 1139-1151. O Psychological Reports 1992
A COMPARISON O F MENTAL HEALTH OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS W I T H SILVER/MERCURY DENTAL FILLINGS AND THOSE W I T H FILLINGS REMOVED ' ROBERT L. SIBLERUD Rocky Mountain Research Institute, Inc. Summary.-In this study was compared the mental health status of 47 multiple sclerosis patients with silver/mercury tooth fihngs (amalgams) to that of 50 patients with their fillings removed. O n the Beck Depress~onInventory the multiple sclerosis subjects with amalgams suffered significantly more depression while their scores on the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory indicated the former group also exhibited significantly more anger. O n the SCL9O Revised, subjects with arnalgnn, fillings had significantly more symptoms of depression, hostility, psychotism, and were more obsessive-compulsive than the patients with such fillings removed. O n a questionnaire containing 18 mental health symptoms multiple sclerosis subjects with amalgam fillings reported a history of 43% more symptoms than those without amalgam fillings over the past 12 months. These data suggested that the poorer mental health status exhibited by multiple sclerosis subjects with dental amalgam fillings may be associated with mercury toxicity from the amalgam.
Recent evidence suggests that mercury from silver dental fillings (dental amalgam) may be associated with mental health problems (22). The dental amalgam is comprised of approximately 50% mercury and nearly 80% of dental caries are filled with amalgam (4). A study at Colorado State University comparing the mental health history of 51 subjects without amalgam with an age- and sex-matched group of 50 subjects with amalgam yielded many significant differences on mental health symptoms between the groups (22). The amalgam-bearing subjects had significantly more symptoms of sudden anger, depression, and irritability. A noncontrolled study of 56 subjects who had their amalgam fillings removed indicated the majority of their mental symptoms were either eliminated or improved w i t h n 10 months after amalgam removal (22). Mercury and Mental Health One of mercury's toxic effects is a devastating influence on mental health. Mercury vapors leach from the dental amalgam and are inhaled (13, 28). After the vapor passes through the lung, it enters the bloodstream wherein it can enter the brain while in the nonionized state. When ionized, the mercury becomes entrapped within the brain (6). A study by Eggleston and Nylander (11) on brains of 83 cadavers showed a correlation between presence of brain mercury and number of occlusal surfaces of the dental 'Funded by a rant from the W d a c e Genetic Foundation. Address enquiries to R. L. Sjblerud, R ~ o m203, ~ e % eBuilding, r Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.
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amalgam. The results suggested that mercury from dental f a n g s may contribute to total level of mercury in the brain. Mercury levels of hair (23), urine (23), and blood ( 1 )have been observed to be higher in amalgam-bearing subjects than in a control group without amalgam. During the last century mercury was the toxin that caused the "Mad Hatter" syndrome among felt hat makers exposed to mercuric nitrate (14). Symptoms included sudden anger, depression, loss of memory, timidity, insomnia, irritability, hallucinations, delusions, and mania. Other mental symptoms attributed to mercury poisoning have included lack of interest (18), poor concentration, forgetfulness, headaches, fear, excitability, fatigue, indecisiveness, hopelessness, and timidity (24).
Mercury and Multiple Sclerosis The literature suggests a connection between mercury from dental amalgam and multiple sclerosis (3, 8). Epidemiology studies have been confirming (8). The death rates in Austraha from multiple sclerosis were related to the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth ( r = 0.97, p ~ 0 . 0 0 2 ) .One can assume that most of the teeth were filled with dental amalgam. A correlation was also found in the United States (r = 0.55, p ~ 0 . 0 0 1 ) .Another study ( 8 ) of 45 countries found a correlation with the incidence of multiple sclerosis and frequency of decayed, missing, and filled teeth among children of school age (r = 0.78, p
A COMPARISON O F MENTAL HEALTH OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS W I T H SILVER/MERCURY DENTAL FILLINGS AND THOSE W I T H FILLINGS REMOVED ' ROBERT L. SIBLERUD Rocky Mountain Research Institute, Inc. Summary.-In this study was compared the mental health status of 47 multiple sclerosis patients with silver/mercury tooth fihngs (amalgams) to that of 50 patients with their fillings removed. O n the Beck Depress~onInventory the multiple sclerosis subjects with amalgams suffered significantly more depression while their scores on the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory indicated the former group also exhibited significantly more anger. O n the SCL9O Revised, subjects with arnalgnn, fillings had significantly more symptoms of depression, hostility, psychotism, and were more obsessive-compulsive than the patients with such fillings removed. O n a questionnaire containing 18 mental health symptoms multiple sclerosis subjects with amalgam fillings reported a history of 43% more symptoms than those without amalgam fillings over the past 12 months. These data suggested that the poorer mental health status exhibited by multiple sclerosis subjects with dental amalgam fillings may be associated with mercury toxicity from the amalgam.
Recent evidence suggests that mercury from silver dental fillings (dental amalgam) may be associated with mental health problems (22). The dental amalgam is comprised of approximately 50% mercury and nearly 80% of dental caries are filled with amalgam (4). A study at Colorado State University comparing the mental health history of 51 subjects without amalgam with an age- and sex-matched group of 50 subjects with amalgam yielded many significant differences on mental health symptoms between the groups (22). The amalgam-bearing subjects had significantly more symptoms of sudden anger, depression, and irritability. A noncontrolled study of 56 subjects who had their amalgam fillings removed indicated the majority of their mental symptoms were either eliminated or improved w i t h n 10 months after amalgam removal (22). Mercury and Mental Health One of mercury's toxic effects is a devastating influence on mental health. Mercury vapors leach from the dental amalgam and are inhaled (13, 28). After the vapor passes through the lung, it enters the bloodstream wherein it can enter the brain while in the nonionized state. When ionized, the mercury becomes entrapped within the brain (6). A study by Eggleston and Nylander (11) on brains of 83 cadavers showed a correlation between presence of brain mercury and number of occlusal surfaces of the dental 'Funded by a rant from the W d a c e Genetic Foundation. Address enquiries to R. L. Sjblerud, R ~ o m203, ~ e % eBuilding, r Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.
1140
R. L. SIBLERUD
amalgam. The results suggested that mercury from dental f a n g s may contribute to total level of mercury in the brain. Mercury levels of hair (23), urine (23), and blood ( 1 )have been observed to be higher in amalgam-bearing subjects than in a control group without amalgam. During the last century mercury was the toxin that caused the "Mad Hatter" syndrome among felt hat makers exposed to mercuric nitrate (14). Symptoms included sudden anger, depression, loss of memory, timidity, insomnia, irritability, hallucinations, delusions, and mania. Other mental symptoms attributed to mercury poisoning have included lack of interest (18), poor concentration, forgetfulness, headaches, fear, excitability, fatigue, indecisiveness, hopelessness, and timidity (24).
Mercury and Multiple Sclerosis The literature suggests a connection between mercury from dental amalgam and multiple sclerosis (3, 8). Epidemiology studies have been confirming (8). The death rates in Austraha from multiple sclerosis were related to the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth ( r = 0.97, p ~ 0 . 0 0 2 ) .One can assume that most of the teeth were filled with dental amalgam. A correlation was also found in the United States (r = 0.55, p ~ 0 . 0 0 1 ) .Another study ( 8 ) of 45 countries found a correlation with the incidence of multiple sclerosis and frequency of decayed, missing, and filled teeth among children of school age (r = 0.78, p
