Let The FDA Know How Your Feel About Mercury!

Back in June of this year, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made an historic decision regarding the classification of Mercury Amalgam fillings when it effectively put on hold its rule declaring mercury-containing dental fillings to be safe for the entire population. In response to several “petitions to reconsider,” including one filed by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), the FDA agreed to grant said petitions and reconsider the classification.

A spokesman for the FDA, noting that it is exceedingly rare for such petitions to be granted, made it clear why the FDA is taking this action:  “You confronted us based on the science,” he said, particularly on issues of risk assessment for mercury exposure from dental amalgam. The meaning? Evidence that was not originally taken into consideration has swayed the FDA enough to believe that a reconsideration is in order. Now, we need to take the next step.

Now We Need Your Help!

The FDA is holding hearings to review the safety of dental amalgam on December 14-15, 2010.  Currently, the FDA rule on dental amalgam acknowledges that “The developing neurological systems in fetuses and young children may be more sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of mercury vapor,” but inexplicably still says that it is safe to expose even these vulnerable populations to mercury – a know neurotoxin and reproductive toxin.

The FDA is now accepting comments from the public in preparation for the hearings, but the December 3 deadline is fast approaching.  With the American Dental Association telling the FDA that amalgam is both safe and necessary, it is more important than ever that every concerned citizen speak up now, while we have the chance.

Please, help us overturn the decision by the FDA and properly classify mercury-amalgam fillings. Your opinion and comments WILL be heard by the FDA!

Here’s how you can make a difference:

1. Post a comment on this blog post and we will submit your comments to the FDA before the December 3rd deadline.
2. Or, BETTER, tell the FDA directly by going to http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480b04c4f to submit a written comment.

What should you say? Explain how you were injured by amalgam, the dangers of mercury in the workplace, how you do not want your children exposed to mercury, how you did not know that your “silver fillings” contained mercury, and how you benefited from mercury-free dentistry… anything that you feel about mercury in fillings and in dentistry based on your knowledge and/or personal experiences.

This is an historic hour… one in which we can help rewrite our future. Don’t let it pass you by….

Thanks.
Dr. Marvin

FDA: “Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses”

FDA admits Dental Amalgam Filling May be Harmful to Children and Fetuses

It’s long been known that mercury is a neurotoxin and that amalgam fillings contain mercury. People who espouse that mercury amalgam fillings are not dangerous typically point to the FDA’s position that the “silver” fillings are “safe.” While the FDA has not banned mercury fillings (in fact, they have classified them as a Class II material: FDA Classifies Dental Amalgam Fillings as Class II (Moderate Risk)), that does not mean they have ruled the material as safe.

While doing some research this morning, I came across an excellent article from NaturalNews.com referencing the court order that forced the FDA admit the dangers of mercury amalgam fillings in children and pregnant women. (The decision actually came in 2008, but was not well-publicized and, therefore, is still not known even by many “industry-insiders,” which is why I am reprinting the article). I was going to write an article on the topic, but NaturalNews.com did an outstanding job so I’ve re-posted their article, below, with a link to their website (and with permission).

Enjoy!
Dr. Marvin

(NaturalNews, by: David Gutierrez, staff writer) For the first time, the FDA has issued a warning that the mercury contained in silver dental fillings may pose neurological risks to children and pregnant women.

“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses,” reads a statement that has been added to the agency’s Web site. “Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure, including individuals with existing high levels of mercury bioburden, should not avoid seeking dental care, but should discuss options with their health practitioner.”

The warning was one of the conditions that the FDA agreed to in settling a lawsuit filed by several consumer health groups.

“Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA’s claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe,” said Charles Brown, a lawyer for Consumers for Dental Choice, one of the plaintiffs.

“It’s a watershed moment,” said Michael Bender of the Mercury Policy Project, another plaintiff.

Mercury is a well-known neurotoxin that can cause cognitive and developmental problems, especially in fetuses and children. It can also cause brain and kidney damage in adults.
So-called dental amalgams, or fillings made with a mix of mercury and other metals, have been used since the 1800s. Although it is known that small amounts of mercury are vaporized (and can be inhaled) when the fillings are used to chew food, and though Canada, France and Sweden have all placed restrictions on the use of mercury fillings, the FDA has always insisted that amalgams are safe.

Dental amalgams are considered medical devices, regulated by the FDA.

Even the FDA’s new warning stops short of admitting that dental amalgams are dangerous for the general population. Instead, it focuses on the same population that has already been warned to limit mercury exposure by consuming less seafood: children and pregnant women. The FDA says it does not recommend that those who already have mercury fillings get them removed.

Millions of people have received amalgam fillings, although their popularity has dropped off in recent years. Currently, only 30 percent of dental fillings contain mercury – the rest are tooth-colored resin composites made from glass, cement and porcelain. These alternative fillings are more expensive and less durable than amalgam, however.

In 2002, the FDA began a regulatory review of amalgam that was expected to be complete within a few years. In 2006, with the review still incomplete, an independent FDA advisory panel of doctors and dentists rejected the agency’s position that there is no reason for concern about the use of amalgam. While the panel agreed that the majority of people receiving such fillings would not be harmed, panel members expressed concern for the health of certain sensitive populations, including children under the age of six.

The panel recommended that the FDA conduct further studies on the risks to children from dental amalgam, and that it consider a policy of informed consent for children and pregnant: that is, warning those groups of the risks associated with the fillings before installing them.

Part of the lawsuit centered on the FDA’s failure to respond to these recommendations in a timely fashion.

“This is your classic failure to act,” federal judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told the agency.

As part of the lawsuit settlement, the FDA must reach a final decision on the regulation of amalgam by July 28, 2009.

“This court settlement signals the death knell for mercury fillings,” Brown predicted.
But J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Ipsita Smolinski disagreed, saying that the FDA is unlikely to ban amalgam entirely

“We do believe that the agency will ask for the label to indicate that mercury is an ingredient in the filling, and that special populations should be exempt from such fillings, such as: nursing women, pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised individuals,” Smolinski said.

Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com; ap.google.com; blog.newswe

To read this article in it’s original format, please visit NaturalNews.com: FDA Reluctantly Admits Mercury Fillings Have Neurotoxic Effects on Children

The above article was reprinted with permission from NaturalNews.com.