Electricity in the Mouth
What is oral electro-galvanism?
Oral Galvanism
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/dental+galvanism
When you put two different metals together in an electrolytic solution, like mercury / amalgam fillings and saliva, electrical current is generated. Basically this creates a battery in the mouth, and is called oral electro-galvanism. Even though the amount of electricity is quite small, you must consider that the nervous system of the human body is managed by extremely small amounts of electrical current.
There are generally at least five different metals inside each mercury amalgam filling (mercury, silver, copper, tin, nickel). Therefore, electrical current will almost always be generated between mercury amalgam fillings because they are in contact with saliva. Even greater levels of current can often be found between where metal crowns contact mercury amalgam fillings. Metal crowns typically are described as gold or non-precious. (Gold typically is alloyed with platinum, paladium, copper and zinc. Non-precious metal (silver colored or porcelain fused to metal) crowns typically contain nickel, chrome, cobalt and molybdenum. These combinations have demonstrated carcinogenicity.)
Oral galvanism increases the process of corrosion and breakdown of amalgam fillings. These electrical currents increase the amount of mercury vapor and abraded particles released into the mouth.1 Oral galvanism also causes the release of free-mercury droplets from the filling.2 Furthermore, this electrolytic process is exacerbated when gold crowns are in contact with mercury fillings.3
In addition to amplifying the process of corrosion and the release of mercury into the mouth, scientific evidence exists that these internal electrical currents can cause unexplained pain, ulceration’s, and inflammation in susceptible individuals.4
- Schriever, W. and Diamond, L.E. Electromotive forces and electrical currents caused by metallic dental fillings. J Dent Res. Vol 31(2):205-208, 1952.
- Schneider, P.E., Sarker N.K. Mercury release from dispersalloy amalgam. IADR Abstract #630, 1982.
- Phillips, R.W. Skinner’s Science of Dental Materials. (7th ed.) W.B. Saunders Co. Philadelphia, 1973.
- Hyams, B.L. and Ballon, H.C. Dissimilar metals in the mouth as a possible cause of otherwise unexplainable symptoms. Can Med Assoc J. Vol. XXIXX:488-491, 1933.
This electrical current may interfere with the normal energy pathways in our bodies. Electro-galvanism occurs at a higher rate when a variety of metals are present in the mouth.
Oral galvanism and Electromagnetic Fields (EMF): factors along with mercury’s high volatility and extreme toxicity in significant exposure levels and oral effects from amalgam fillings. – B. Windham(Ed.)
What are symptoms of oral electro-galvanism that I might see in my body?
There are a variety of symptoms that others have related to oral electro-galvanism, many of which have been noted to improve when the oral galvanism is reduced. These may include: headaches, migraines, dizziness, nausea, amalgam tattoos, lack of concentration and memory, insomnia, psychological problems, tinnitus, vertigo, epilepsy, hearing loss, eye problems, mouth pain, and others.
How do you treat oral electro-galvanism?
The way you treat this problem is to remove the metals from the mouth. However, while a dentist can diagnose oral electro-galvanism he (she) cannot recommend that the patient have all the metal removed (from the oral cavity) in order to eliminate the oral galvanism. That is really for the patient to decide; it is a completely elective procedure. There is evidence to support the belief that metal elimination in the oral cavity results in a reduction of oral electro-galvanism, which in turn may result in improved overall health. This is supported by anecdotal based evidence (real clinical patient results), and includes decreases in both gum tissue inflammation and occurrence of periodontal disease. However, dentists are not permitted to diagnose body-wide ranging symptoms, as being directly attributable to oral electro-galvanism. Therefore we do not recommend dental solutions to body-wide symptoms of oral galvanism.