Heavy Metal Toxicity
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Heavy metals are metals such as platinum, gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, zinc, arsenic and cobalt.
Some of them are essential to our health, and some are harmful. Amalgam, which contains mercury, became a mainstream dental material about 100 years ago.
It is rarely used now because of its potential for contamination. There are, however, a substantial number of patients who still have amalgam-filled teeth.
Metals such as nickel, cobalt and chromium are susceptible to oxidation and unstable.
Even saliva or dental occlusion could easily cause these metals to leach out.
These metals may accumulate in the human body even at a minute level.
Contamination by heavy metal accumulated over a long time under a low level exposure has been suspected of causing lifestyle diseases without any prior characteristic symptoms.
