Health Freedom Alliance » FDA Scientific Panel Urges FDA to Stop Amalgam Use in Vulnerable Populations

We all know that the human body is nothing to be meddled with, pardon my pun, and we all know that metals such as lead or mercury are poisonous. It would seemingly be common sense then that such poisons are kept out of our bodies, yet all over the world people have mercury directly adhered to their teeth by dentists to fill holes left after drilling cavities. Having trusted that the FDA and medical care providers wouldn’t put them in harms way, many now suffer from mercury poisoning due to amalgams.

In December the FDA held a two day hearing to evaluate the safety of amalgams during which the agencies own scientists urged that the use of amalgams in children, pregnant women and those who may be hypersensitive be stopped immediately. Why stop at children though? Most anything that can poison a child can also poison an adult. Whatever age, we are made of the same physiological structures, and poison is poison.

Amalgam fillings contain approximately 50% mercury, 30% copper, 14% each of tin and silver, and 1% zinc. All five of these metals are toxic and when they react they form 16 more toxic corrosion products. The EPA safety limits for mercury vapor exposure is 0.01 mg per day but numerous studies have shown that mercury fillings release up to 0.029 mg per day, nearly 3 times higher than the limit. Vapor exposure is highest when the amalgams are being placed or removed, but as long a person has them, they will be inhaling mercury 24 hours a day. The mercury vapor by the amalgam increases every time they chew anything, are exposed to hot liquid, or whenever they are brushed.

Exposure to mercury will effect kidney function and cause brain dysfunction, reproductive disorders and birth defects; like x-rays and other heavy metals, it causes damage to the lining of arteries. More than 100 million amalgam fillings are placed in the United States every year and the metal composites are not even effective in creating a healthier mouth half the time. Dr. Gary Schumacher, a dentist and chief of clinical research at the ADA Health Foundation’s Paffenbarger Research Center referred to amalgam fillings as “probably the biggest problem facing most dentists today”. He estimates that more then half of the fillings done cause a secondary tooth decay.

This is a practice that the dental community clearly needs to move away from. If the FDA were truly what they advertise themselves to be to the American public as “protectors of health”, then they should be leading the parade against amalgam use! In a 2005 poll, done by Zogby International, of consumers in Connecticut and New England, it was revealed that most people are in the dark when it comes to amalgams:

The major findings of the national poll are as follows:

Most Americans (76%) don’t know mercury is the primary component of amalgam fillings.

Americans overwhelmingly (92%) want to be informed of their options with respect to mercury and non-mercury dental filling materials prior to treatment.

The majority (77%) of Americans would choose higher cost fillings that do not contain mercury if given the choice.

Close to half (47%) of all Americans think mercury pollution poses a serious problem for the environment.

Those figures are a strong message that the FDA is not fulfilling their duties to their public and instead continue to downplay the harmful effects.

“While there have been bans or curbs or strong warnings about mercury in amalgam in Canada, Sweden and other European countries, the US has lagged behind its allies in warning and protecting the public from its greatest source of personal mercury exposure: dental amalgam fillings. Considering the importance of the dental mercury question, the US has also seriously failed to fund the important research that needed to be done to address the mercury amalgam safety issue. Virtually all of the important research has been done by independent scientists who continued on with their work despite a lack of government funding. The independent scientists and practitioners, who have spoken out about their clinical and research findings, are the heroes in this saga.” -toxicmetals.info

~Health Freedoms

At the end of the two day hearing to evaluate the safety of amalgam, the FDA’s own scientific panel – including neurologists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, and environmental health specialists – told the agency to stop amalgam use in children, pregnant women and hypersensitive populations.

After reviewing the available scientific studies and the presentations of researchers, experts, dentists and injured consumers, the scientists concluded that – contrary to the claims of the FDA’s in-house dentist Susan Runner – amalgam is not safe for everybody. According to the panel, the FDA’s amalgam risk assessments were not adequate to protect hypersensitive adults, children and unborn babies. Repeatedly, panel members expressed their concern about amalgam use in children. Pediatric neurologist Dr. Suresh Kotagal of the Mayo Clinic summed it up for the entire panel: “There is really no place for mercury in children.” Other panelists went on to explain that dental mercury is like lead. The panel urged the FDA to quickly contraindicate amalgam for these vulnerable populations and insisted that the FDA provide consumers with labeling containing clear warnings.

The press heard the scientists loud and clear. According to the well-respected trade publication FDA Webview , the panelists “suggested the agency should ban the device’s use in children and pregnant women.” Reuters announced that “Use of fillings in kids, pregnant women biggest concern…Enough uncertainty surrounds silver-colored metal dental fillings with mercury that U.S. regulators should add more cautions for dentists and patients, a U.S. advisory panel said.”

At the end of the hearing, presiding FDA official Anthony Watson, Director of the Division of Dental Devices, announced that the FDA would act quickly in response to concerns raised by the panel. But already the FDA is ignoring the scientists. The FDA’s official summary [PDF] of the hearings reads like the American Dental Association press release that was issued the day before, simply noting that more research is needed. The summary does not even mention the scientists’ vocal cry for contraindications and restrictions to protect vulnerable populations. And even though panelists insisted that the FDA has a responsibility to provide clear labeling for consumers, the summary twists their comments to absolve the FDA of all responsibility – it claims that the panel only suggested the need for informed consent within the dentist-patient relationship.

We cannot let the FDA get away with rewriting history and ignoring the scientists as it has done so many times before. Please write Anthony Watson at anthony.watson@fda.hhs.gov .

Tell Mr. Watson of the FDA:

Since the FDA’s own panel of scientists advise that amalgam should “definitely not” be implanted in children, pregnant women and hypersensitive people, how soon will you take action to protect these vulnerable populations from this toxin?
Since the FDA has a duty to tell consumers that amalgam contains mercury that can damage the neurological systems of unborn babies, children and hypersensitive populations, when does the FDA intend to clearly state this warning on its consumer website and in consumer labeling?
Since Commissioner Hamburg claims the FDA is committed to transparency, how does the FDA plan to keep the public updated on its progress with regard to the amalgam issue?

Thank you to all who came out to testify at the hearings, participated in the demonstration and submitted comments to the FDA! We’ve gotten this far, let’s keep it up.

Charlie

Charles G. Brown
National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice
President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry
316 F St., Suite 210
Washington DC 20002
202-544-6333

Note: Since receiving this email, we heard further news from Charlie:

Joshua Sharfstein, the FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner who approved the abysmal amalgam rule after Commissioner Margaret Hamburg claimed to be recused, has resigned. Sharfstein’s exit allows new FDA leadership to take a fresh look at amalgam, and we will continue to hold their feet to the fire.

http://www.wellsphere.com/dental-health-article/fda-scientific-panel-urges-fda-to-stop-amalgam-use-in-vulnerable-populations-8211-will-fda-listen/1322504

2 Comments »

laura says:

February 16, 2011 at 4:16 am

i have suffered with debilating health problems as a result of mercury poisoning from amalgams. also, all 3 of my children have health problems from my mercury fillings being in place while pregnant. the fda/ada are only looking out for themselves, and have no interest in protecting future generations from the devastation that amalgams and also vaccinations cause.
A big THANKS to Mr.Brown for having the courage, fortitude and integrity to take on all those involved for poisoning millions of us who no longer have the strength or knowledge of how to stop this travesty of humankind. i can tell you first hand how insideous amalgam poisoning is, it affects every cell in your body. it destroys your endocrine system, your brain, your organs, the list goes on…
Karen Burns says:

February 24, 2011 at 11:57 am

I too suffer from mercury poisoning. Not only did I have a mouth filled with amalgam fillings, I also dental assisted for 24 yrs. I have full blown mercury poisoning. It is a slow long death. I became sick and after 2 yrs of going to doctors they finally asked what I did for a living, when I said dental assisting they finally checked me for heavy metal toxicity. Something I think a lot of people suffer from but doctors never check this. I went to the hearings in December and I spoke to Anthony Watson and he told me that if amalgam helps people with tooth decay while only making a few sick this is what they look at. I wrote to Mr. Watson afterward and I told him there is no way to know how many people are being affected if people are not being tested for this. At the meeting the scientist talked of testing to see how escretes mercury. Why are these test not being used??? If we as mothers knew we are toxic it would change what we do before getting pregnant, nursing. How do we know that babies are not being born with mercury toxicity, and then being vaccinated before leaving the hospital and who knows how this effects them.They test mothers for Aids and Heb B why not mercury? The FDA probably cant answer that they rather act like no body is being hurt.