Anti-Amalgam Beliefs Cost Dentist His License

Editorial
by Jim Du Molin

Thirteen Years Later, Anti-Amalgam Doctor Wants It Back

Onetime dentist Larry Hanus doesn’t like mercury; he doesn’t particularly care for the ADA or the Iowa Board of Dental Examiners either. That’s because in 1994, the state board took away his dental license. Hanus claims it was only because he violated the ADA’s long-standing “gag rule” prohibiting dentists from voicing concerns about mercury toxicity from silver amalgam fillings.

I for one know just how controversial this issue is – even talking about “mercury amalgam” versus “silver fillings” can reveal one’s bias. In a recent dental survey of dentists, respondents were passionately split right down the middle, with half of dentists placing amalgam fillings and half of them no longer doing so.

But as more dentists publicly question the safety of silver fillings, the ADA’s “gag rule” has lost much of its power. In 2002, Iowa’s Attorney General announced that dentists could speak freely about safety concerns without fear of reprisal from the dental board. Said Hanus’s lawyer: “The basis for the suspension, in other words, is over.”

Last week, Hanus appeared before the dental board to request reinstatement. The state, on the other hand, presented evidence as to why Hanus should not be granted a dental license. According to the state, the dentist did not tell his patients that many dentists believe that silver dental fillings are perfectly safe, presenting instead only his extreme view and recommending patients remove existing amalgam fillings.

The state also questioned Hanus’s mental health. Indeed, he’s a colorful character who’s indulged some far-fetched ideas. In 2000, he sent out letters condemning the state dental board and alleging that ZIP codes are unconstitutional. Says Hanus today: “It’s in the past. It’s not who I am any longer.”

Today, Hanus is a licensed massage therapist and alternative medicine specialist. His current work bio describes him as a “traditional naturopath and bodywork/energy practitioner… Currently, teaching massage therapy and having a private practice which includes nutrition, life-styles management, stress-mitigation, and chronic pain relief, his particular areas of interest in the healing arts are spiritual and physical de-toxification including heavy metals and neurotoxins, Applied Kinesiology/muscle testing, cranio-sacral therapy, and age/event regressions.”

The Iowa state dental board is expected to rule within several weeks on whether Dr. Hanus can have his dental license back or not.

Read more or read Dr. Hanus’s call-to-action… Plus, feel free to post your thoughts below!

Anthony J. D’Amico DDS

This asinine controversy over dental amalgam is now moot in New York State, with the help of the ADA. New York has now branded dentists as major polluters of water supplies because of amalgam. They have mandated ridiculous filtration and disposal procedures. In 40 years of practice I have watched the government take over practice administration, with the ADA pretty much saying “uh huh-stick it to them.” I stopped using amalgam because of regulation, not because I think amalgam is unsafe, or a major pollution source.
Jan Peterson, DMD

There seems to be considerable confusion about who is ‘sticking it” to whom.
The ADA is a professional organization run for and by dentistists, and doesn’t grant or revoke dental practice lisenses. State Boards of Dentistry are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the governor of the state in order to protect the public. They grant and revoke dental lisences.
ADA doesn’t have a “gag rule” as well as it doesn’t revoke lisences. ADA plolicy does state that amalgam fillings should not be removed for the sole purpose of curing medical conditions, as well as dentists should not practice medicine without a medical lisence.
John Jackson, DMD

I am a dental specialist and don’t place permanent restorations. I think it is IRONIC that we are required by state dental boards to keep a notice in our waiting areas stating the complete safety and lower relative cost of amalgam vs. other restorations. Another law requires us to have a $1000. filter (installed) to remove these same materials from our wastewater. Either it’s safe or it isn’t.
nhokkanen

Mercury ISN’T SAFE in the human body.

Politics and profiteers keep it in medical products, sickening countless people annually with autoimmune diseases, nerve damage, nutritional leaching, etc.

0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury = Kills human neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86: 132-140).

2 ppb mercury = U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (<a href=”http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html#mcls).” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html#mcls).</a>

20 ppb mercury = Neurite membrane structure destroyed (Leong et al.,Neuroreport 2001; 12: 733-37).

200 ppb mercury = level in liquid the EPA classifies as hazardous waste (<a href=”http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/regs.htm#hazwaste)” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/regs.htm#hazwaste)</a>

The EU is moving in the right direction, but it’s too late to save this generation from the fatally entrenched attitudes of people who make money from mercury.
Jaine B

I wondered why mercury was used initially if it was so toxic…I found out that it was the form of chemotherapy before sulpha drugs as a remedy for syphillus which was endemic a century ago. If you didn’t die from the mercury, you survived the ‘FRENCH POX’. I am guessing that it became a broad spectrum prophylactic to stop the horrors of venerial disease and thus giving venery the veneration we now see in tv, film and life.
Carolyn Weissberg

The reason that mercury can continually be used is that only a subset of people can’t handle it. This masks its role contributing to autism, ADD, ADHD, speech issues, alzheimers, MS, CP, epilepsy, and auto-immune disorders. If you want to understand the dynamics, google Dr. Jill James and glutathione. And take a look at http://www.generationrescue.com. When I got my merury fillings out, I finally only needed 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Prior to that I needed 10-12. This effect happened before I’d had all the fillings out, so it was not placebo–I was expecting any effects to show after I had all the fillings out.
Robert G. Briant

About five years ago, I embarked on a journey to have all ten of my mercury amalgam fillings out. At that time my Iowa Neurologist agree’d that it “might” provide me some benefit. Due especially to my twenty four year exposure to solvents in the Printing industry, and subsequent diagnosis of Toxic Encephalopathy, and MCS (or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity). Due to the anal retentiveness of the Iowa Dental Board. My local eastside Dentist turned my Neurologist in to the ADA and the AMA, who proceeded to very wrongfully harass him for about two years, when it was “MY” sugesstion in the first place! I eventually had to go to a mercury free Dentist in Omaha. Where I was able later to get all of my amalgams replaced with “Cerec” porceilyn crowns. You know what is really amazing? Is that a substance that comes into the Dental office (with a skull and crossbones on it), becomes totally inert once a Dentist puts it into your mouth! I guess all the bruxism and consumption of hot liquids that cause the mercury to be released slowly over time, must in fact present no adverse health hazards (if you adhere to the Iowa Dental Boards line of thinking). Let alone the galvanic reactions between mixed meatals, that had my mouth tasting like I was chewing aluminum foil on a daily basis. Whats worse is that in time the Iowa Dental Board will hopefully have to be disbanded (not like California’s was) due to all of the lawsuits from mercury poisoning such as Autism, and many other serious diseases. But it is the very Dentists who do not “still” get the connection between mercury and a host of serious diseases that will go out in a blaze of lawsuits, not the good old Iowa Dental Board. I’m proud to say that many Dentist, and consumers have woke up about the dangers of the most toxic substance on earth (that is not radioactive). Dr. Larry Hanus D.D.S. should have never had his license lifted to begin with, and should be reinstated immediately with loss of back wages.
bob meyer

Mercury is posion. That is the simple fact. Undisputable. Wake up and smell the coffee ADA. Larry deserves to be back in business. Iowa board of big money should let Larry back serving people with non toxic dental fillings.

Bob Meyer
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1 Bernie Windham

Dental amalgam is documented to be the largest source of mercury exposure in most who have amalgam fillings or metal crowns over amalgam, by medical lab tests, medical studies, Gov’t agencies:
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/damspr1.html

Dental amalgam is also the largest source of mercury in sewers, which all have high/dangerous levels, and thus a large source of mercury in waterbodies, fish, etc.
http://www.flcv.com/damspr2f.html
nancy Hone

Mercury is a very toxic substance. No level of mercury is safe.
Dentists who have put this in the mouths of innocent people who trusted them should be charged with a crime and jailed along with their boards and associations.
Maybe this will put the Dental Police on notice and they will stop harrassing excellent dentists like Larry Hanus who has only tried to bring the truth to the citizenry and thereby prevent illness by teaching about and taking out toxic substances from people’s heads.
House of LIfe

I know Larry Hanus and was at the Dental Board Hearing. It was clear that the Assistant Attorney General was trying to prove her case by making Larry seem to be a bit “off.” This often happens when someone decides to stand up and tell the truth before others are willing to listen to the truth.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hanus had several letters from Legislators in Iowa with whom he has been working, attesting to his upright citizenship etc. I hope that the Dental Board will look closer at the character references of Mr. Hanus and less at the slanted truth presented by the Assistant Attorney General.

Mr. Hanus stated his case clearly and concisely, and should he not win this hearing, it will be a travesty for both our legislative system and for the whole dental community in Iowa.
Ron Calvert

Anybody who thinks mercury is safe to ingest into the body in any form is in denial. As we all know government never makes mistakes. They are not about to give Dr Hanus back his license. Back to the old saw “You can’t fight City Hall.”

Ron Calvert
Nicola Kennedy

hello
I’m posting my message from New Zealand!
I’m a dental assistant.

I find it really interesting that a dentist that spent 6 years training and has had amalgam in his teeth most of his life can talk such bullshit!

Amalgam has been around for over 100 years do you honestly think that we would continue using amalgam if it contributed to parkisons’s disease,cronic fatigue etc.

I have had amalgam in my teeth since i was five and all together i have 23 fillings plus a root canal and ive had no side effects.

Has he got any side efffects?
What has he based this on?

Anti-Amalgam Beliefs Cost Dentist His License

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