A Victory for Health -- FDA Forced to Admit That Mercury Fillings are Hazardous

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A Victory for Health -- FDA Forced to Admit That Mercury Fillings are Hazardous

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
June 26 2008 | 57,590 views

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally admitted that metal dental fillings containing mercury can cause health problems in pregnant women, children and fetuses.

As part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by several consumer advocacy groups, the FDA agreed to alert consumers about the potential risks on its Web site and to issue a more specific rule next year for fillings that contain mercury.

The FDA’s Web site now states that: "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses."

Charles Brown, a lawyer for advocacy group Consumers for Dental Choice, said the agency‘s move represented an about-face. According to Brown, “Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA‘s claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe … 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.”

Sources:

eMax Health

Reuters June 4, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is indeed an authentic health victory.

Finally, the FDA has owned up to the fact that permanently installing a toxic substance like mercury inside of your mouth is not such a good idea, at least for those most at risk:

Pregnant and nursing women
Children
Fetuses
People with already high levels of mercury bioburden
Those who are sensitive to mercury exposure

Dental amalgam fillings -- which are made from about 50 percent mercury and the rest an amalgam of silver, tin, copper, zinc and other metals -- have been used for more than 150 years, in an estimated 100 million fillings each year in the United States alone.

I don’t know how it’s gone on that long.

Mercury is a potent toxin that can damage your brain, central nervous system and kidneys. Children and fetuses, whose brains are still developing, are most at risk, but really anyone can be impacted. I find it quite ironic, not to mention unsettling, that the metallic mercury used by dentists to manufacture dental amalgam is shipped as a hazardous material to the dental office. Any amalgam leftover is also treated as hazardous and requires special precautions to dispose of.

Yet, most dentists will readily implant this hazardous material directly into your mouth, with assurances that it’s perfectly safe and harmless.

Now, at least the FDA has admitted the obvious: mercury fillings are dangerous.

As Usual, the American Dental Association Stands Its Ground

When asked whether silver mercury fillings are safe, the American Dental Association (ADA) states on its Web site:

“Yes. Dental amalgam has been used in tooth restorations worldwide for more than 100 years. Studies have failed to find any link between amalgam restorations and any medical disorder. Amalgam continues to be a safe restorative material for dental patients.”

So clearly they are not ready to admit they’re wrong. The economic consequences of all those lawsuits would devastate the profession. If they ever decided to agree with the new research and become more open-minded, my guess is that they would have to be bailed out by the U.S. Congress, which would shift the financial burden to the U.S. taxpayer, NOT the ADA.

They maintain that mercury fillings are “highly resistant to wear,” but what they don’t tell you is that when amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapor. More importantly, every time you chew food or brush your teeth, these fillings also release toxic mercury vapor.

Just How Much Mercury Do These Fillings Release?

Remember, any kind of stimulation can cause these fillings to release mercury. Eating, drinking, brushing your teeth, grinding your teeth, chewing gum, anything. If you want to see the vapors released for yourself, watch this shocking video.

Mercury vapor from the amalgams passes readily through cell membranes, across the blood-brain barrier, and into your central nervous system, where it causes psychological, neurological, and immunological problems.

For an interesting comparison, consider that scientists recently made a wise warning about eating mercury-contaminated seafood. Well, eating such seafood will expose you to about 2.3 micrograms of mercury a day. A single dental amalgam filling, meanwhile, releases as much as 15 micrograms of mercury per day.

But that’s not all. The average person has eight amalgam fillings and could absorb up to 120 micrograms of mercury per day. Clearly this is cause for urgent action to be taken. I was NO different. I had 16 fillings by the time I was in college.

What to Do if You Have Mercury Fillings

I do not believe that pregnant women and children are the only ones who need to worry about the mercury in silver dental fillings. I highly suggest that if you need to get a filling, you see a biological dentist who can recommend a truly inert material that will not harm your health.

I also recommend that you have any existing amalgam fillings removed … but avoid making the mistake I did 20 years ago by having it done by a non-biological dentist. You see, when you have these fillings removed you can be exposed to significant amounts of mercury vapors if the dentist doesn’t know what he or she is doing.

Although they may be more than technically competent and one of the most skilled dentists the earth has ever seen, if they haven’t received training in how to remove mercury safely let me strongly assure you they will harm you.

My mercury exposure from having this done improperly nearly caused me to lose both my kidneys and go on dialysis. Fortunately, I have access to some of the best medical minds on the planet and I was able to have the problem reversed.

For this reason, I suggest you get healthy BEFORE having your fillings removed, as you want your detoxification mechanisms optimized prior to removal.

Once you’re ready to go ahead with it, I’d say only about 5 percent of dentists know how to remove these fillings safely, so do your research and seek out a highly qualified biological dentist. Some things that need to be done to keep you (and your dentist) safe during the procedure include:

Providing you with an alternative air source and instructing you not to breath through your mouth
Using a cold-water spray to minimize mercury vapors
Putting a rubber dam in your mouth so you don’t swallow or inhale any toxins
Using a high-volume evacuator near the tooth at all times to evacuate the mercury vapor
Washing your mouth out immediately after the fillings have been removed (the dentist should also change gloves after the removal)
Immediately cleaning your protective wear and face once the fillings are removed
Using room air purifiers

Meanwhile, if you’re concerned about the mercury burden in your body, I highly recommend reviewing my Mercury Detoxification Protocol, which details the things you can do right now to help detoxify your body of this toxic substance.