Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with health complaints attributed to former dental amalgam fillings

Abstract

BackgroundThe dental filling material amalgam is generally well tolerated. However, a small proportion of dental patients experience health complaints which they attribute to amalgam. The symptom pattern is often similar to patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) and the health complaints may persist after amalgam removal. Among patients with MUPS, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) seems to be high. The aim of this survey was to describe the prevalence and range of CAM use among people with health complaints attributed to dental amalgam fillings in which the health problems persist after the removal of all amalgam fillings. Specific attention was paid to (1) self-reported effects of CAM, (2) differences in CAM use dependent on self-reported health, and (3) gender differences in self-reported CAM use.MethodsA survey was distributed to all members of The Norwegian dental patient association (NDPA) (n = 999), the response rate was 36.4 %. The anonymous questionnaire asked for socio-demographic data, health complaints related to former amalgam fillings, subjectively perceived health status, symptoms, and experience with therapeutic interventions, mostly from the spectrum of CAM. Only participants who had all their fillings removed, which was the vast majority, were analysed.ResultsA total of 88.9 % of included respondents had used at least one CAM modality, with a higher proportion of men (95.7 %) compared to women (86.2 %, p = 0.015). The most frequently used therapies were dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals recommended by a therapist (used by 66.7 %) followed by self-prescribed dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals (59.0 %), homeopathy (54.0 %), acupuncture (48.8 %) and special diets (47.5 %). Use of CAM was similar for participants reporting normal to good health compared to participants reporting poor health. For all but two CAM modalities, the self-reported treatment effect was better in the group reporting normal to good health compared to the group reporting poor health.ConclusionsCAM was widely used by participants in our study, a finding similar to findings from studies of MUPS patients. To date, health problems associated with the use of dental amalgam is not an accepted diagnosis in the healthcare system. Consequently, people suffering from such complaints experience a lack of adequate treatment and support within conventional health care, which might have contributed to the high number of CAM users in this study.

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…Even though conventional medicine is the officially approved medical system in Norway, many people choose additional modalities to improve their health or as a consolation in a challenging health situation [48–50]. Our study supports earlier findings showing that TM exists along with CM outside the official health care system [9, 51].…”

Health Complaints Attributed to Dental Amalgam: A Retrospective Survey Exploring Perceived Health Changes Related to Amalgam Removal

“…One of the aims of this program was to develop a rehabilitation program for patients who have had all their amalgam fillings removed, but still experienced symptoms. A part of this intervention should be based on a survey exploring the target groups’ experiences with different types of interventions that were not part of the official healthcare system in Norway [ 21 ]. The Norwegian Data Inspectorate (NSD) has been notified about the study and the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK) has considered the study (REK reference 2011/1281) and decided that no ethic approval was needed due to full anonymity of the participants.…”

“…The questionnaire asked for sociodemographic data, subjectively perceived health status, complaints persisting after amalgam removal (based on Norwegian version of the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-24)), self-reported changes in symptoms after amalgam removal, and experience with different therapeutic interventions. The questionnaire also asked for use of complementary and alternative therapies, which are reported elsewhere [ 22 ]. The only criteria for inclusion were membership in the patient association NDPA and previously amalgam fillings of which all were removed.…”

“Struggle to obtain redress”: Women’s experiences of living with symptoms attributed to dental restorative materials and/or electromagnetic fields

“…Kristoffersen et al (2016) concluded that alternative medicine was widely used in patients with health problems attributed to dental amalgam, as it is not an accepted diagnosis in the health care system. Clearly, alternative medicine has a broader and a more vague definition of disease; if you feel ill, choose to be ill, or have an illness behavior, then you have a disease (Johanisson, 1997).…”

“…Patients commonly combine alternative healing systems with biomedical care to provide alternative explanations of illness (Asbring & Narvanen, 2004). Kristoffersen et al (2016) concluded that alternative medicine was widely used among patients with health problems attributed to dental amalgam.…”