By Todd Zwillich
WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) May 09
Several experts urged lawmakers on Thursday to prohibit the use of dental fillings containing mercury, claiming that the fillings are toxic and dangerous to humans.
Meanwhile, the American Dental Association (ADA) maintained that the fillings are safe and that no evidence has been found to show that they pose a threat to patients.
Mercury comprises approximately half the weight of common silver amalgam fillings. The fillings are the least expensive available and are also the most common found in the mouths of Americans.
Mercury is known to be highly toxic, causing renal toxicity, neurological degeneration, and other health related problems. Some researchers and consumers groups blame mercury in fillings and childhood vaccines for the rise in autism rates among US children.
But many experts still disagree over whether mercury in fillings can reach toxic levels in the human body.
Several US federal agencies have deemed the fillings suitable for human use. The FDA issued a statement in December 2002 saying that the results of a wide scientific review indicated thte “studies did not support claims that individuals with dental amalgam restorations will experience health problems.
But several experts disagree, saying that the US government has ingnored key evidence illustrating the health threat of mercury fillings.
“I can’t believe that anybody would say that amalgams are not toxic,” Dr. Boud E. Haley, chair of the department of chemistry at the University of Kentucky, told members of a House of Government Reform subcommittee.
Dr. Haley reviewed several studies, including one conducted by the National Institutes of Health in 1998 showing that soldiers with amalgam fillings had 4.5 times the levels of mercury in their urine as did soldiers without fillings.
Other studies have suggested a direct link between a mother’s number of fillings and mercury levels in the hair of fetuses and newborns.
Dr. Maths Berlin, a professor emeritus of environmental medicine at the University of Lund, Sweden, said that his research shows that mercury fillings are dangerous to fetuses. “Amalgam should not be used for dental restoration in women of child – bearing age or in children,” he said.
But an ADA official testifying before the committee said that there has been “misinformation” about these fillings. “The major US and international scientific bodies have all stated that dental amalgam is a safe restorative material, “ said Dr. Frederick C Eichmiller, the director of the American Dental Association Health Foundation.
A Bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing ahead with a bill that seeks to ban most sales of mercury for us in dental fillings by 2008. The bill would also require dentists in the meantime to inform patients that amalgam fillings contain mercury and that mercury is toxic.
A ton of conflicting information….what a surprise! I generally err on the side of conservatism and innate logic when scientists bicker. Mercury is a neurotoxin and subsequently should be avoided at all costs. Whether amalgam fillings actually leak or whether the amount of mercury in them is enough to create toxicity, I’m not interested in finding out. I recommend locating a dentist who is conservative with the health of your mouth and overall body and who will use composite fillings rather than amalgam. In SLO, we recommend Dr. Ruan Ross on Marsh St. Dr. Ross and his staff provide exceptional care and ensure you walk out just as healthy as when you walked in!!!
Onwards and Upwards,
Dr. Rex
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