On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 7:18:15 PM UTC+1, Brian Sandle wrote:
> On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 8:15:40 PM UTC+12, Keith P Walsh wrote:
> > On Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 4:55:58 AM UTC+1, Brian Sandle wrote:
> > > On Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 5:55:25 AM UTC+13, Keith P Walsh wrote:
> > > > In recent years the use of dental amalgam has been phased out in the countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
> > > >
> > > > It has often been suspected that the presence of amalgam dental fillings in people’s teeth is the real cause of many neurological and so-called psychiatric disorders.
> > > >
> > > > However, it appears that no-one has bothered to ask the authorities in either Norway, Sweden or Denmark if the phasing out of amalgam has resulted in any reduction in the incidence of disorders such as these.
> > > >
> > > > In his report, "Review of Norwegian experiences with the phase-out of dental amalgam use", analyst John M. Skjelvik states that, although no causal relationship between amalgam fillings and human health problems had yet been established, "many research gaps existed, which, if addressed, may settle the dental amalgam controversy once and for all.“
> > > >
> > > > This statement appears to imply that the argument over the "controversy" referred to may have been resurrected recently in Norway for some reason.
> > > >
> > > > Is it possible that the phasing out of dental amalgam has indeed corresponded with a reduction in the incidence many neurological and psychiatric disorders?
> > > >
> > > > It may be argued that if this were so then we would all know about it, because the authorities in Norway, Sweden and Denmark would surely have told us. However, I believe that this may be a somewhat naive assumption which fails to take into account the way in which the real world works.
> > > >
> > > > It would have been impossible for these countries to have even begun to phase out the use of dental amalgam without it being noticed by those companies who make large amounts of money supplying the necessary component metals and alloys to the dental profession all around the world. In the event of any one of these three countries announcing any correlation between amalgam phase-out and a significant reduction in the incidence of certain health problems, a primary source of income for these companies would come under threat on the global scale.
> > > >
> > > > I think that it would have been perfectly possible, as well as highly likely, that when faced with such a threat to the source of their wealth, the interested parties would have sought to impose legal injunctions against the countries involved from making any announcement which connected the phase-out of amalgam with any corresponding improvement in public health. And I also believe that the grounds on which such legal impositions would have been granted is that, as stated in John Skjelvik's report, no "causal" link had been scientifically demonstrated.
> > > >
> > > > Nevertheless, I would argue that it is now incumbent upon the scientific community to at least consider what the "research gaps" cited in Skjelvik's report might be. For example, it appears that those people who take the anecdotal evidence against the safety of dental amalgam seriously are only ever able to imagine that any health problems caused must be due to the toxic properties of the mercury content of the amalgam. However, it is quite easily demonstrated that both the dental profession and the scientific community at large are completely ignorant of the thermoelectric behavior of dental amalgams.
> > > >
> > > > The thermoelectric effect is a natural phenomenon whereby metals, mixtures of metals and dissimilar metals in contact with each other are able to generate an electrical potential when subjected to a temperature difference, and there is no electrolysis involved. The metals do not have to be in contact with any electrolytic fluid and it is not necessary for them to undergo any electrochemical corrosion for the thermoelectric potential to be generated.
> > > >
> > > > Further information about the thermoelectric effect can be found in the LinkedIn “Evidence Based Dentistry” group at:
> > > >
> > > > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6602887092123029504
> > > >
> > > > However, and in spite of the fact that amalgam fillings are placed in children's teeth, it appears that experimental procedures to measure the thermoelectric properties of a typical dental amalgam have never been carried out. So here is clearly identified one example of what John M Skjelvik described as "research gaps". I propose that there is no justification for this research gap to exist.
> > > >
> > > > John M Skjelvik declares that further scientific research "may settle the dental amalgam controversy once and for all". One interpretation of this statement might be that he is calling on scientists to find the explanation for the fact that there is a strong statistical correlation between the phase-out of dental amalgam and a significant reduction in the incidence of neurological/psychiatric disorders in Norway.
> > > >
> > > > Whatever the case, the phase-out of dental amalgam in Norway, Sweden and Denmark provided the perfect opportunity for large-scale studies of an epidemiological nature to be carried out, and for any resulting changes in public health to be monitored. It is not reasonable to argue that such an opportunity could have been neglected. The authorities in these countries must know if there is or if there is not any such correlation to be seen.
> > > >
> > > > The very least that we should be doing is asking them the appropriate questions.
> > > >
> > > > And lastly, to consider it the other way round - if it had been possible to establish that there was no discernable reduction in the incidence of any health disorders in Norway, Sweden or Denmark corresponding with the phase-out of amalgam, wouldn't those companies who make money supplying the component metals for amalgam have made sure that we all knew about it?
> > > >
> > > > I think it's almost certain that they would, because they're the ones with the wealth and the power to control what we are allowed to know. That's how the world works.
> > > >
> > > > The above was posted previously to the "Public Health Dentistry" group at LinkedIn. This post can be viewed securely via the link:
> > > >
> > > > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6680802023035715584
> > > >
> > > > Best regards,
> > > >
> > > > Keith P Walsh
> > > > keith....@btinternet.com
> > > I believe Hulda Clark, who speaks of the dangers of amalgam, has said the white fillings may be worse when they fluoresce under UV light since some of those have contained radioactive material. I don't know if they still do.
> > Hi Brian,
> >
> > Thanks for your contribution. It was first identified around two hundred years ago that when a material which is known to consist of an inhomogeneous mixture of dissimilar electrical conductors is subjected to a temperature difference, an electromagnetic disturbance can be detected near the external surfaces of the material. This phenomenon is explained by the thermoelectric behavior of such a material.
> >
> > Dental amalgam is accurately described as an inhomogeneous mixture of dissimilar electrical conductors. However, in spite of the enormous advances in the sensitivity of electrical and electromagnetic measuring devices which have taken place over the last two centuries, it appears that the dental profession knows NOTHING AT ALL about the thermoelectrical behavior of dental amalgams.
> >
> > A poster highlighting this ignorance will be presented at the Virtual Conference on Thermoelectrics next month. You can view this poster at any of the following web addresses:
> >
> > Personal website:
> > http://www.bookbootusers.co.uk/V_Poster_2021_v1.pdf
> >
> > Academia website:
> > https://independentresearcher.academia.edu/KeithWalsh
> >
> > LinkedIn Group “Evidence Based Dentistry EBD”
> > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6808698545567350784
> >
> > LinkedIn Group “Public Health Dentistry”
> > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6808697800562475008
> >
> > LinkedIn Group “Thermoelectrics”
> > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6808698956672045056
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Keith P Walsh
> After a recent amalgam I held one meter probe with my fingers and showed the dentist nearl 0.5 volts on that tooth and a bit less on the one net to it. So there would be a potential between the two teeth which I wonder might trigger tooth grinding in sleep. But that would be electrochemical not thermoelectric.

Hi Brian,

You assert:

"But that would be electrochemical not thermoelectric."

The generation of an electrical potential by electrochemical means would necessitate a degree of electrochemical corrosion of the metals taking place. Was there any evidence of this happening?

Otherwise there is no scientific justification for declaring, "that would be electrochemical not thermoelectric".

Thomas Johann Seebeck applied a temperature difference across a sample of material which he knew to be an inhomogeneous mixture of dissimilar electrical conductors, and he found that he could detect an electromagnetic disturbance near the surface of the material (there was no electrolysis involved).

Amalgam fillings in teeth are subjected to temperature differences all the time (ice-cream, hot coffee). What is the scientific justification for not carrying out experimental investigations to determine whether an electromagnetic disturbance can be detected near the surface of a typical dental amalgam when a temperature difference is applied across it?

(That's a rhetorical question by the way. I'm quite certain that there isn't any.)

Keith P Walsh