Learn more about Mercury Fillings From this List of Over 100 Related Background Articles on the Topics Posted on This Website. Click Here.
From OCA Supporter: “Upwards of 85% of the American public have raw mercury (not chemically bound ‘silver’) in their teeth, placed there by their trusted family dentist, who most often is a paid member of the American Dental Association – not a scientific body -who’s purpose is to protect its members’ interests, not the publics’. This same group is the accepted advisor to the FDA, and the accreditation entity that dictates “Standards of Care” curriculum to all dental schools in this country, where their future members are taught that mercury is safe in their patients’ heads.”
Examiner Article:
The cheapest and strongest dental filling material for cavities is silver, also called dental amalgam. This material is known to contain mercury, which is toxic to humans if exposed to in large enough quantities.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been investigating the viability of using this material since 2002. On July 28th they made their definitive ruling.
FDA Issues Final Regulation on Dental Amalgam
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a final regulation classifying dental amalgam and its component parts – elemental mercury and a powder alloy-used in dental fillings. While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to cause harm in patients.
The regulation classifies dental amalgam into Class II (moderate risk). By classifying a device into Class II, the FDA can impose special controls (in addition to general controls such as good manufacturing practices that apply to all medical devices regardless of risk) to provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device.
The FDA cautions using amalgam if you are allergic to mercury; do you know if you are allergic to mercury? If you find out you are allergic after you have fillings put in, isn’t that a bit defeatist? You risk going through the pain and suffering of an allergic reaction to mercury, which you did not know you had.
Mercury can enter your body through two main sources: eating fish, or using dental amalgam. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) provides a complete explanation of mercury exposure. This includes thermometers, barometers, and thermostats.
The FDA may have capitulated to the dental community to the detriment of the public’s health by their mild ruling on mercury fillings. You must determine for yourself whether you want to risk exposure. Hopefully your dentist will provide suitable alternatives for your dental needs.
The ADA (American Dental Association) describes the material choices for tooth repair. Some of the new materials are ceramics (porcelain), and polymer compounds. The old materials such as gold and base metal alloys are still good.
————–
We need to flood the White House with thousands of protests because
the FDA put mercury/silver fillings in class II and removed
warnings.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR LIKE MINDED FRIENDS AND ASK THEM TO SEND IT ON
President Obama is committed to creating the most open and
accessible administration in American history. To send questions,
comments, concerns, or well-wishes to the President or his staff,
please use the form below: Contact the White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
BUT HE LET THIS HAPPEN AFTER SAYING AS A SENATOR: “Exposure to
mercury leads to serious developmental problems in children as well
as problems affecting vision, motor skills, blood pressure, and
fertility in adults,” said Obama. “Despite our country’s improved
efforts to contain and collect mercury over the years, we remain one
of the world’s leading exporters of this dangerous product, so I am
proud this bill will finally ban mercury exports.”
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/green/President_Bush_Signs_Obama_s_Mercury_Export_Ban_into_Law.html
AND OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE: “Mercury poses a serious threat to
public health in communities around the world,” said Nancy Sutley,
Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Today,
the world’s environmental leaders agreed that we must take immediate
action to reduce mercury emissions. The United States will play a
leading role in working with other nations to craft a global,
legally binding agreement that will prevent the spread of mercury
into the environment and improve the health of workers, pregnant
women, and children throughout the world.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/press_releases/february_20_2009/
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009, the FDA “issued a final regulation
classifying dental amalgam and its component parts – elemental
mercury and a powder alloy-used in dental fillings. While elemental
mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high
exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not
high enough to cause harm in patients. The regulation classifies
dental amalgam into Class II (moderate risk).”
(http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm173992.htm)
CALL 888-568-0381 pass code 7642 (does not work on all cell phones)
to listen to the FDA lies as Susan Runner announced this 7/28/09
Source: Robert E. Reeves
REEVES LAW OFFICE
167 West Main St., Suite 1310
Lexington, KY 40507
———————-
Pros and Cons of Different Types of Fillings
There was a time when every tooth cavity was automatically filled with an amalgam, or metallic, filling. But today, patients have their choice of fillings. However, it’s easy to lose track of the pro’s and con’s of the different options.
“First you have to decide between hard and soft fillings,” says Dirk Kropp of the ProDente, a coalition of German professional and industry groups in the dental sector.
Soft fillings, like amalgam or composites, can seal smaller holes in teeth. “They are mixed right in the dentist’s office and harden once they are put into the tooth,” explains Kropp.
Harder fillings like gold or ceramics are only used for larger holes and have to be readied in a special dental technology laboratory before they can be anchored to the tooth with cement or a special bonding agent. There are also newer options like inlays and outlays.
Aesthetics also play a role in picking filling materials today. “Ceramics and composites can be matched to tooth colour,” says Kropp. Differently coloured materials like gold and amalgam are only used – if even then – for teeth in the back of the mouth.
Patients should think about the properties of the different filling materials. “There’s a reason amalgam has been used for fillings for over 100 years. It has definite advantages,” says Kropp.
“With composite fillings, it’s possible that the high shrinking factor could lead to micro gaps between the tooth and filling during hardening.” Cavities can then develop in these areas. With amalgam, there’s usually a near-perfect seal with the tooth.
However, there have been suspicions for years that amalgam can cause headaches, depression and vision problems. However, there’s been no way to prove that scientifically.
Indeed, a 12-year study by a clinic in Munich came to the conclusion that there was no link between the number of amalgam fillings and the manifestation of certain symptoms.
Nonetheless, there’s reason to think that there is a link between the amount of time the fillings have been in use and the manifestation of the complaints, according to the results of a survey of patients who had made complaints against a manufacturer of the amalgam products.
Hard fillings like gold or ceramics stand out because of their endurance. Depending on the kind, a gold filling can last for 30 years. Ceramics usually last for 10 to 12 years, amalgam for eight to 10 while composite fillings only hold up for four to nine years.
“These figures are based on statistical averages,” says Uwe Niekusch of a patients’ consulting group in Germany. Lifespans are determined by the way the dentist worked with the filling and by the individual’s dental health care.
Patients should also learn about the costs of the different filling materials. Some insurers will cover the entire cost of an amalgam filling, but in other cases patients have to carry the costs themselves.
The same applies for hard fillings like gold and ceramics. In these cases, the insurer only pays up to the amount a procedure with an amalgam filling would cost. The insured carries the cost difference, says Haerschel.
Allergies, illness and pre-existing fillings all need to be considered as well. Niekusch warns against using fillings made of multiple metals, since these can have chemical reactions that lead to corrosion, for example.
If a patient has a choice between a filling and an inlay, he should pick the filling, even if it doesn’t last as long as an inlay. Services only available through private insurers, like an inlay, don’t automatically equal a better treatment.
———————-