VitalChild - FDA is Sued to Admit Mercury Amalgams are Dangerous to Pregnant Women and Children

WIN or Get Huge Savings!

FDA is Sued to Admit Mercury Amalgams are Dangerous to Pregnant Women and Children
Kevin Hill for VitalChild.com Date: 12/9/08

After ten years of ignoring petitions, congressional hearings and letters; Consumer dental health advocates have finally won a lawsuit against the FDA to publicly admit that Mercury Amalgams are a threat to human health.

The FDA warning now points particularly at pregnant women, children as well as those who have immune compromised health.

In the lawsuit, Moms Against Mercury et al. v. Von Eschenbach, Commissioner, et al. The FDA will finish classifying within one year of the close of the public comment period on its amalgam policy, that is, by July 28, 2009.

The FDA also agreed to change its position on amalgams completely. The FDA's website no longer will claim that science does not exist to support that amalgam's are safe. It also will change the language that says that other countries have acted against mercury amalgams for environmental reasons or that a 2006 Scientific Panel vote affirmed amalgam's Safety. The FDA website now states “Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetus.”
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/amalgams.html

The FDA has taken a neutral position on amalgams now yet acknowledges that there are serious heatlh concerns with mercury amalgams as it relates to children, unborn children, pregnant woman and those with immuno-sensitive or high mercury body burdens.

“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.”

Consumers for Dental Choice appealed to the FDA to alter its language regarding the safety of mercury amalgams but was simply ignored by the FDA. After many failed attempts, Charlie Brown, of Consumers for Dental Choice states, "To change FDA policy, we tried petitions, Congressional hearings, state fact sheet laws, Scientific Advisory Committee hearings, and letters galore -- to no avail. So in the great American tradition, we sued."

The case represents 30 years of denial by the FDA and also serves to undo a relationship with the American Dental Association. "The impact of the re-writing of its position on amalgam can hardly be understated. FDA’s website will no longer be cited by the American Dental Association in public hearings."

More information can be found at Consumers for Dental Choice's Website:
http://www.toxicteeth.org/

Consumers for Dental Choice (CDC) was established in 1996 by consumer advocates, mercury poisoning victims, scientists and mercury-free dentists, and soon thereafter became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Our purpose is to educate the public about the health and environmental dangers of mercury fillings, and to ensure more effective government oversight on amalgam. Since the organization began, the number of amalgams placed have declined dramatically, from two-thirds of all fillings placed to one-third, and the number of mercury-free dentists has grown dramatically. But we will not be satisfied until mercury is no longer used in dentistry.

As part of its educational work, Consumers for Dental Choice wants the full flow of non-deceptive information between dentists and patients. As such, we work to end the American Dental Association’s notorious “gag rule” which tries to silence mercury-free dentists, and the ADA’s promoting mercury amalgam under the deceptive term “silver.” We favor full disclosure of the risks of mercury fillings.

It is important that research relied upon by federal agencies be based on science, so Consumers works to counter studies by non-independent or unqualified researchers that urge continuation of amalgam for spurious reasons such as “it’s good because we’ve used it for 150 years,” or a mixture of amalgam is like sodium and chloride is like table salt. Scientific research makes clear that mercury does not belong in dentistry.

The environmental dangers of mercury fillings – from dental offices, from human waste, and from cremation – is alarming, and reason enough to end the use of amalgam. Consumers works to educate the public about the contribution of dentistry of toxic mercury to both human beings and the environment.

Comments (0) Add Comment