Customer Reviews

Elements of Danger: Protect Yourself Against the Hazards of Modern Dentistry

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Medical journalist Morton Walker, D.P.M., has an impressive list of credentials. He's written more than 70 books, fourteen of which were international bestsellers, has published more than twenty-two hundred magazine and newspaper articles, and appeared in numerous TV and radio talk shows. He's also received several awards and honors from various medical groups.

In his latest book, Elements of Danger: Protect Yourself Against the Hazards of Modern Dentistry, Dr. Walker takes on the dental profession. He focuses on the practice of using metal fillings, but also discusses other procedures, like root canals.
He says he found a "paradox, for the nature of dental care among industrialized nations has our dental health providers reacting to disease rather than keeping people's mouths functioning healthfully and well." He maintains that most dentists don't look at the patient as a complete individual or dental health as a part of overall good health.

Dr. Walker offers a thorough discussion of the potential problems of using metal fillings, especially those containing mercury. He includes a questionnaire that will help readers determine if their fillings are adversely affecting their health. He lists thirty symptoms of metal toxicity, including memory problems, depression, insomnia, heartburn, headaches, and fatigue.

Root canals can also lead to myriad health problems, particularly infection which can affect other parts of the body, and deterioration of the jawbone. He also includes a section on the dangers of fluoridation, reminding readers that fluoride is "an industrial waste product commonly sold as poison for killing rats and insects." He notes that the Food and Drug Administration now requires a warning label on all fluoridated toothpastes, advising consumers to contact a Poison Control Center if the toothpaste is accidently swallowed.

The final section of the book describes natural ways of achieving and maintaining good dental health, including guidelines for choosing a dentist that uses safe and non-toxic procedures. Dr. Walker also includes a list of resources.

Elements of Danger is must reading for those who have had or are contemplating metal fillings, root canals, or fluoridation. Get a copy for yourself, and an additional copy for loved ones who have had dental work, especially those with unexplained symptoms of illness.

Elements of Danger is a well written well documented book on the hazards of Mercury fillings and root canal cavitations. This is the first book of it's kind to include root canal and wisdom teeth cavitations along with mecury fillings. I believe this new technology is the answer to many peoples prayers. If you have an ailment and can't find a cause, read this book I did and it sure saved my life. After reading this book and battling cancer for two years, I understood what had gone wrong with my body. I decided to have my mercury fillings out and wisdom teeth cavitations cleaned out. I am now cancer free. Yes I said it CANCER free. It took only six weeks for my cancer to disappear. I would never have believed it if it didn't happen to me. Read this book and you too can learn what I learned too. Thank You! Morton Walker for writing a well researched and documented book. B. Phillips

can often get a person into trouble. I don't know who wrote the 1 star reviews - presumably dentists, or morons who think that modern science is trustworthy.

I was a dental assistant in the military in the US, and what I do know is that many substances that dentists use are toxic, particulary that old standby, flouride, which is a derivative of aluminum and may in fact be responsible for the rise in Alzheimers cases in this country.

As a dental assistant, I was required to take any extra mercury amalgam and put it into a cup of glycerine. This is in order that the mercury fumes won't escape as quickly and overexpose the staff (including Dr. Pain himself). One then wonders why the dental community doesn't mind sticking this stuff in your mouth, forever.

Another danger is overexposure to x-rays - did you ever wonder why the assistant gets the hell out of the room and behind protective cover when taking your x-ray? Yes, overexposure - but we still don't know how much is too much.

This book needs to be read by dental patients everywhere, because whenever one gets any sort of medical treatment, in addition to the hoped for outcome of improvement, they are also exposing themselves to all sorts of additional risks.

This is a must have for every person in the world. If that were the case, the health care industry would not be where it is today.

You are only receiving 10% of the information here. There are many people who can say that they removed their mercury fillings and their cancer disappeared. But were they receiving other forms of treatment or did they simply take the fillings out. Amalgam fillings are put in using high speed suction which takes up all the debris and then sealed so no mercury seeps out. A lot of doctors are now using rubber dams to further diminish the possibility of exposure. As for orthodontic concerns with braces. Do the research. Braces stretch the bone which causes much discomfort which yes can throw the body off balance for a short period of time. This is not due to electrical impulses, this is from the bone stretching and growing. The age old term "growing pains" would be used if it weren't for the metal in the child's mouth. If you do the research you will find the same results. Just remember, people will write anything to sell books. Would you buy a book that says "Trust your dentist, he is all knowing". Of course not.

Come on people, let's get real. How many scientific articles (well controlled studies) were used in this book. The answer is none! The segment of the population with cancer, cystic fibrosis, MS etc is completely equal when controlling for the variable of "mercury" silver amalgams. So using this idiot's logic, silver fillings should also be said to prevent disease. It is sad to see a man using poor science to get peoples hopes up, just to make some money!

Please be warned that this book is not based on research, it is based on opinion and personal stories. The dental community takes patient safety and health very seriously and has conducted extensive research into the subject of dental amalgam. There have been NO well conducted studies to support claims against it. In addition, fluoride is one of the great victories of the public health system, significantly decreasing the incidence of dental caries. Of course ANYTHING in too large of a dose, or taken in an improper manner can be a poison including--yes it is true, even water. "The dose makes the poison" For your health and safety, please don't take this book as fact, as it really has no sound basis!

ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam www.ada.org

Dental amalgam (silver filling) is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. It contains a mixture of metals such as silver, copper and tin, in addition to mercury, which chemically binds these components into a hard, stable and safe substance. Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness.

Issued in late 1997, the FDI World Dental Federation and the World Health Organization consensus statement on dental amalgam stated, "No controlled studies have been published demonstrating systemic adverse effects from amalgam restorations." The document also states that, aside from rare instances of local side effects of allergic reactions, "the small amount of mercury released from amalgam restorations, especially during placement and removal, has not been shown to cause any ... adverse health effects."

The ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs' 1998 report on its review of the recent scientific literature on amalgam states: "The Council concludes that, based on available scientific information, amalgam continues to be a safe and effective restorative material." The Council's report also states, "There currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam."

In an article published in the February 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers report finding "no significant association of Alzheimer's Disease with the number, surface area or history of having dental amalgam restorations" and "no statistically significant differences in brain mercury levels between subjects with Alzheimer's Disease and control subjects."

The U.S. Public Health Service issued a report in 1993 stating there is no health reason not to use amalgam, except in the extremely rare case of the patient who is allergic to a component of amalgam. This supports the findings of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, that dental amalgam is a safe and effective restorative material. In addition, in 1991, Consumer Reports noted, "Given their solid track record . . . amalgam fillings are still your best bet."

In 1991, the FDA's Dental Products Panel found no valid data to demonstrate clinical harm to patients from amalgams or that having them removed would prevent adverse health effects or reverse the course of existing diseases. The FDA's most recent reaffirmation of amalgam's safety was published on December 31, 2002.

The reaffirmation reads, "FDA and other organizations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) continue to investigate the safety of amalgams used in dental restorations (fillings). However, no valid scientific evidence has ever shown that amalgams cause harm to patients."

It continues, "Also, USPHS scientists analyzed about 175 peer-reviewed studies submitted in support of three citizen petitions received by FDA after the 1993 report. They concluded that data in these studies did not support claims that individuals with dental amalgam restorations will experience problems, including neurologic, renal or developmental effects, except for rare allergic or hypersensitivity reactions."

The U.S. Public Health Service found in 1993 "no persuasive reason to believe that avoiding amalgams or having them removed will have a beneficial effect on health." In fact, it is inadvisable to have amalgams removed unnecessarily because it can cause structural damage to healthy teeth.

The ADA supports ongoing research in the development of new materials that it hopes will someday prove to be as safe and effective as dental amalgam. However, the ADA continues to believe that amalgam is a valuable, viable and safe choice for dental patients and concurs with the findings of the U.S. Public Health Service that amalgam has "continuing value in maintaining oral health."