Dental Fillings Curiosity

[Belle Fast]

Could people look at the question posted by Curiosity in the Body and Soul section and give their opinions? I am still not clear about exactly the mechanism for the tooth pain when someone cuts into tinfoil. Thanks!

[mibn2cweus]

Salts in saliva cause ions to be released from the silver in the fillings and the aluminum. The silver in the fillings has a greater tendency to retrieve its freed ions than does the aluminum. This leads to an imbalance of electrons with the silver fillings having a surplus relative to the aluminum.

This potential difference is discharged by electrons flowing through the nerve endings underneath the fillings on their way to complete the circuit back to the mouth and the aluminum. The stimulation of the nerve endings is interpreted as pain by the brain.

In other words you are being electrocuted by a galvanic voltage cell created by the reaction of dissimilar metals with saliva, but this is not nearly strong enough to be fatal. It is very effective in reducing the consumption of aluminum however. Anyone see a new diet aid coming out of this? See you later; I�m on my way to the patent office!

[rojash]

Well, perhaps not quite electrocuted, mibn2cweus. Electrocution is death by electricity.

[Belle Fast]

Thanks for the answers, but in Curiousity's question the tinfoil is not in the mouth, but in another part of the room and three people felt the tooth pain, so this solution doesn't work - I think its to do with the sound and frequency of resonance, but I wish someone would confirm or refute this and explain it in more detail.

[mibn2cweus]

rojash, I was afraid of that. Thanks for pointing out that fatal error.

Perhaps that affect should be considered as an alternative by those who are opposed to capital punishment; or would that be too cruel and unusual?

Belle Fast, I searched for but did not find the thread in question. As you now know I am all to happy to submit answers before understanding the question so from here might it have been a physiological response to suggestive stimulus? Had all three affected by this experienced the affect mentioned above?

[Belle Fast]

Thanks, M, you find the question by searching the site with the word "fillings".