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Thank you all for your replies.    

I am not doing any better.  Despite doctors telling me not to take Advil for 
this, I've found it to be the only thing that relieves this gut pain.  I realize that 
this is a very sensitive topic, but nonetheless, in answer to the responses I 
posted in part 1, and for sake of awareness and hopefully a more celiac 
friendly world, this has been my experience thus far:

I had thorough precautions taken to remove a small piece of mercury (the size 
of a quarter of a short pinky fingernail).  Dental dam, suction during drilling, 
and an oxygen mask were used for me.  I experienced celiac symptoms that 
afternoon immediately following my dental work that have not subsided to this 
day, and they are constant. 

They are not typical viral infection symptoms, ie. nausea, vomitting, diarrhea, 
but are my usual celiac symptoms, ie. feeling of glass in my intestines, painful 
bloating, excessive burping, gas.  After over a month of chronic symptoms, I 
finally broke down in tears at my job on Friday and was taken to the ER, where 
they suggested I make an appointment with a gastro doctor and gave me 
strong antacid.

I've had an endoscopy done weeks ago by a non-celiac gastro doctor who told 
me my insides were irritated and to go back to my dentist.  My other doctor 
suggested I go for a video capsule endoscopy and CT scan xray to rule out 
any complications.

As for the dental companies, I personally feel they've a monopoly going on, 
and I felt like an investigative journalist trying to get vital info from rude reps 
simply refusing to disclose, and hanging up on me, as if I'm trying to cook up a 
batch of composite cement in my kitchen and use it instead.

I'm reporting my experience to the better business bureau, even though I've 
little faith that it will matter.  Celiacs rely on ingredient information, and it 
ought to be made available to us, in order for us to make educated choices, to 
protect our health and the health of our celiac children and grandparents.  

The sad reality is, there's no telling whether gluten lurks in composite dental 
fillings.  I know a lot of you don't want to hear that and trust me, I don't like 
saying it.  I called the American Dental Association and the woman I spoke 
with said she's had celiacs call with the same experience.  One had to redo her 
entire mouth, and another had to remove the composite and return to 
amalgam to relieve her celiac symptoms.  She said she thinks gluten is in the 
cement adhesives.

Unfortunately, that's what I'll most likely end up doing.  Returning to amalgam.  
Reason being, amalgam did not make me sick for one.  As far as mercury 
causing celiac, as some suspect of their situation, I developed celiac years 
before getting my amalgam filling, so there's no connection there for me.  The 
other reason, and likely why I don't have celiac reactions to it, is that 
amalgam is the only filling that does not require adhesive.  Even gold needs 
cement in the mouth.

As for the dangers of amalgam, there's much controversy over it, but not a 
whole lot of proof.  I've asked around and just about everyone I know has 
amalgam in their mouths.  Of those who do, they are in many ways actually 
healthier than those who do not.  But then, those who don't have it, tend to 
have had it at some point in their lives.  And as far as being neurotoxic, those 
people I asked who had it all their lives were in occupations requiring deep 
thinking, concentration, and a steady hand. 

My friend, a Harvard psychologist has had ten amalgam fillings in his mouth 
ever since he was a young boy and his dentist does not recommend they be 
replaced.  He has no known health complications, is very fit, intelligent 
(managed to get through Harvard with ten fillings) and successful.  The 
mothers I've asked with healthy children all have amalgam in their mouths.  
Three were the average.

With all of that said, and judging by my own experience, I'd say there's a 
greater chance that gluten is in a composite than that amalgam is a human 
neurotoxin.  But, reality is, there's only so much to choose from, and not 
enough protection under any law for celiacs where it involves anything having 
to do with the cosmetic industry, whether dental or not.  It's a sad truth, but 
it's what it is.  

We need our voices to be heard over this.  It isn't enough for a dental 
company to say, "to the best of our knowledge, there should not be gluten", 
while at the same time refusing to provide us with ingredient lists.  

I am not at all convinced that I'm not having celiac reactions to the ppm of 
gluten in my tooth.  Not at all.  My tooth looks great, but the money I've 
wasted, the pain I've endured, the insensitivity of these celiac unfriendly 
companies, and the work yet to be done, and whatever else, is a shame.

I'm a highly symptomatic celiac.  Not biopsy, but blood proven.  I've had celiac 
for 20 years now, and on the diet for close to 15.   I had bloodwork done 
weeks ago, and it came back good, but it would be too soon to show problems 
yet.  Before the diet I was very anemic and had very high liver enzymes.  My 
doctor told me via the recent bloodwork, I have no other food sensitivities 
(and I know from experience I do not).  Prior to this dental composite, I had 
not been extremely sick in well over 10 years.  I'm very careful with my diet, 
and even avoid questionable (standard pharmacy brand) cosmetics. 

I had the Clifford sensitivity test done, to determine what dental material 
chemicals I showed a sensitivity to, to know what to avoid.  While I didn't see 
which my dentist used (and I'll never make that mistake again), he told me 
afterward he used Dentsply Esthet-X composite, Den/mat tenure, and de-mark 
by cosmedent.  He also had some celiac info on hand that listed these 
companies which I had given him a year ago to refer to, from a posting on 
here from a listserv member.

All these are marked as suitable on the Clifford sensitivity test.  What it is, if 
you react to a chemical, they know which products contain it, and mark them 
accordingly.  Problem is, this has nothing to do with gluten.  They don't test 
for gluten.  It doesn't mean gluten isn't present in a material.

I'm reacting as though it is.  I'm also most likely replacing this attractive 
composite with mercury.  Will keep you all posted.

Thanks for listening everyone,   Andrea  

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