FDA FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGES TOXICITY OF MERCURY FILLINGS

[dixter]

FDA finally acknowledges toxicity of mercury fillings

Dear Friend,

It's the beginning of the end for mercury fillings. After a decade-long battle, Consumers for Dental Choice announced that they'd settled a lawsuit that will compel the FDA to comply with a new law and classify mercury amalgam.

According to Charlie Brown (and no, I didn't make that name up) of the General Council for Consumers for Dental Choice, the FDA agreed to drastically alter its Web site on dental amalgams. "Gone, gone, gone are all of the FDA's claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe," Brown said.

Now, the FDA Web site clearly states: "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses. When amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is also released during chewing. FDA's rulemaking will examine evidence concerning whether release of mercury vapor can cause health problems, including neurological disorders, in children and fetuses."

It's always been something of a shock to me that there hasn't been more of an uproar about mercury in fillings. After all, it's already known that they leak mercury into your system at an alarming rate. Researchers discovered that when they stimulated an amalgam filling, they could actually see the mercury vapor emanating from the filling for at least an hour and a half. It doesn't take much to stimulate a filling, either: It happens every time you eat, brush your teeth, chew gum, or grind your teeth. And yes – the vapors that come off those fillings are toxic.

What's more frightening is that – years after this research happened – this no-brainer reversal of the FDA's stance on these oral poisons is considered such a big victory. It just goes to show you how broken our system can be.

The huge upside of this victory is that it's one of the first times that anti-mercury organizations worked together to present a unified front against a mercury-based product. To change the policy, everyone pulled together at once – developing a single strategy, circulating petitions, getting Congressional hearings, creating state fact sheet laws, being heard by scientific advisory hearings, etc.

Proof positive that persistence—and teamwork—pay off.

Filling you in about bad fillings,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

[Mega_Tron]

I have to have my first fillings tomorrow, and my gut instinct was that it doesn't seem right to have mercury in my mouth, i think it is a brilliant thing that the toxicity has been acknowledged and i don't believe it is just a money making scheme.
I think it is pretty screwed up to put mercury in your body. And yes, metal fillings are much more affordable (or free on the nhs) but i don't think you can put a price on your health and i don't know why anyone would knowingly compromise that, i think that is pretty ignorant.

[lynn117]

well i am not pregnant and have never had any reaction to the metal in my mouthful of fillings. i am not too worried about it. metal fillings last longer and are cheaper and seem to have and adverse reaction only in SOME people. i think this will scare a lot of people into replacing their metal fillings which will make dentists a lot of money but i read somewhere that removing all your metal fillings at once will cause more mercury exposure  than living with them.