Dental Truth

Submitted by Ruby Ann Dollins, DDS

 

The first ever National Mercury Amalgam Awareness Week took place October 3-10, 2005 . 

 

Most people know that eating fish can expose them to levels of mercury that could pose a health risk, but an equal or greater source of mercury that is little known is just under their noses – in their mouth.  Amalgam fillings – deceptively called “silver” – are really 50% mercury and are “a major source of exposure” to this toxic metal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The World Health Organization says this source is “greater than all other sources combined”, including fish.

 

National Mercury Amalgam Awareness Week called on people across the country to get the word out about the potential health risks and environmental degradation caused by the continued use of amalgam fillings, said Charles Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice.

Major events were held on October 7 in Washington DC and Philadelphia . Consumers for Dental Choice sponsored a “Mercury Vapor Testing Day” in Washington for people to come and get the mercury vapor levels from their amalgam fillings tested for free.  In Pennsylvania , the Pennsylvania Coalition for Mercury Free Dentistry held a major rally around the American Dental Association’s annual meeting that was held in the city.

 

Said Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA), “Mercury is an acute toxic substance. Its use has been phased out of vaccines, disinfectants, contact lens solutions and thermometers.  Despite the publics growing awareness of the dangers of mercury, most remain unaware that dental amalgam commonly used by dentists to fill cavities contains significant amounts of mercury.  In fact, dental offices are now one of the primary sources of mercury pollution.”

 

Representative Watson, along with Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), introduced a bill during Mercury Amalgam Awareness Week that would phase out the use of mercury in dental fillings.  “My legislation phases out the use of mercury in dental amalgams.  It will play a major role in the removal of mercury from our environment, said Watson.

 

Information on the subject of amalgam has been slow to come out as the ADA has thwarted dentists’ efforts to speak with their patients about the potential dangers of the fillings through enforcement of the notorious “gag rule”.  Many dentists are afraid to speak out at the threat of losing their license to practice – and state ACLUs in Oregon, Iowa and Connecticut have stepped up to defend blatant violations of dentists’ free speech rights on this issue.

 

Consumers for Dental Choice was established in 1996 by consumer advocates, mercury poisoning victims, scientists and mercury-free dentists to educate the pubic about the health and environmental dangers of mercury fillings, and to ensure the integrity of scientific research on amalgam.  Since the organization began, the number of amalgams placed has declined dramatically, from two-thirds of all fillings placed to one-third, and the number of mercury-free dentists has grown dramatically.