Group in Las Colinas speaks out about mercury in dental amalgam fillings
by JANET ST. JAMES
LAS COLINAS – The Center for Devices and Radiological Health held a town hall meeting in Las Colinas, Texas on Thursday.Several people confronted the director about the dental amalgam fillings, which contain mercury. Despite links to neurological and kidney damage, dental amalgam fillings are legal.
“I was sick for 20 years before a doctor found out what was wrong with me,” said Virginia Pritchett, a patient. Pritchett said she has been plagued by seizures and immune system problems caused by a toxic reaction to dental mercury. “Silver dental fillings are half mercury,” she said. “The fact that they have not banned these is nothing short of an atrocity to humanity as far as I’m concerned.”
Right now, dental amalgam remains a popular and affordable choice for fillings. At an FDA hearing in Las Colinas, government officials say they are still considering restrictions.
“We may decide to change our current regulation and that could include changing the status of dental amalgam, which means it comes off the market or has other controls on it or we may decide to leave things as they are,” said Dr. Jeff Shuren, the director for CDRH.
