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A federal judge in Connecticut has ordered the state of Connecticut to stop harassing Dr. Mark Breiner for criticizing mercury amalgam fillings. Breiner may now advertise and advocate mercury-free dentistry in any public forum, and state why they are such a horrid health risk. The case was decided in First Amendment grounds.
The ADA's Code of Professional Conduct states: "Based on available scientific data, the ADA has determined that the removal of amalgam restorations from the non-allergic patient for the alleged purpose of removing toxic substances from the body, when such treatment is performed solely at the recommendation or suggestion of the dentist, is improper and unethical."
This article presents excerpts from a letter Boyd Haley PhD wrote to congressman Dan Burton as a rebuttal to a May 11th, 2001 letter by Robert M. Anderton, D.D.S., and President of the American Dental Association (ADA), challenging Boyd's statements to the Committee on Government Reform. Additionally, Boyd gives a complete dissection of the many flaws, including misleading data manipulation in the Saxe Alzheimer's study.
In 2002, the ADA released an assessment entitled "Evaluation of Mercury in Dental Facility Wastewater." The report argued that dental offices were not a significant source of mercury contamination. The Association of Municipal Sewage Authorities released a critique of the ADA report, taking serious issue with most of its findings.
"The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists... ...The ADA's only alleged involvement in the product was to provide information regarding its use. Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury".
Mercury Policy Project recently wrote a letter urging the U.S. Government not to succumb to the American Dental Association's recommendations to have FDA assume a leading role in the INC process, given that EPA, not FDA has the expertise to address the global threat of mercury amalgam releases.
Despite having a wealth of science at their disposal on the toxicity of mercury from dental amalgma fillings, the Maine legislature favored the American Dental Association's views of mercury safety and killed a bill that would ban dentists from placing mercury fillings in pregnant woman, children and nursing mothers.
WHO releases report on dental materials, amalgam
A new report from the World Health Organization reinforces dental amalgam as a safe and effective restorative material and also notes the widespread public health impact of any proposed ban of the material.
The report, “Future Use of Materials For Dental Restoration” stems from a 2009 meeting in Geneva that the WHO Global Oral Health Program hosted jointly with the United Nation’s Environmental Program Global Mercury Partnership.
The two-day meeting highlighted the current scientific evidence on dental materials, including amalgam and non-amalgam restoratives, and gathered information for future recommendations on the use of dental restorative materials—stressing the need to avoid environmental pollution.
According to Dr. Daniel Meyer, senior vice president, ADA Division of Science/Professional Affairs, who was present in Geneva, the FDI worked diligently to keep the talk at the conference focused on prevention and improvement of restorative materials rather than banning amalgam. The result was the report’s conclusion that “dental amalgam remains a dental restorative material of choice.”
“Our goal was for the FDI, WHO, the public health communities and professional organizations concerned about health to put more emphasis on assessing risks and preventing oral diseases such as dental caries rather than just treating it. Fortunately, that’s what they did to help safeguard, promote and advance oral health care,” Dr. Meyer said.
The report rejected a call from those opposed to the continued availability of amalgam to ban its use, instead opting for a “phase down” of the material in hopes that improved prevention efforts worldwide will eventually decrease the need for all restorations. The report also reaffirmed the safety of amalgam, reinforcing the Association’s position—backed by with the FDA’s 2009 ruling—that the material is a safe and viable choice. It also stressed preventive methods such as fluoride, fluoride varnish and sealants, and emphasized the need for ongoing research to improve alternative materials.
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Dr. Richard Chanin DMD of The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology disscusses one of the flaws in the Saxe study: "Dental amalgam and cognitive function in older women: findings from the Nun Study", which was published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) and widely promoted to discredit the link between mercury exposure (as from dental amalgam) and Alzheimer's disease.
It is disheartening to read articles written by misinformed dentists promoting the safety of dental amalgam while ignoring a vast array of published science and the serious risk to patients health from exposure to mercury vapor and particles. Dentists judiciously quote their trade organization, the American Dental Association, for proof of safety, yet never offer specifics about the proof of safety; Unfortunately the article below by Rashmi Bhatnagar DMD exemplifies the worst of this kind of writing.
Charlie Brown, Executive Director of Consumers for Dental Choice and Dr. Edmond Hewlett, Professor in the Division of Restorative Dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry and Consumer Advisor for the American Dental Association are interviewed on the Southern California Public Radio program Air Talk.
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