Once in your body, mercury, a neurotoxin, can harm your nervous system to differing degrees, depending on how much mercury you’ve accumulated in your body.

At above-average doses, brain functions such as reaction time, judgment, and language can be impaired. At very high exposures, mercury can affect your ability to walk, speak, think, and see clearly.

This is why, back in 2006, scientists issued a worldwide warning about eating mercury-tainted seafood, which can expose you to about 2.3 micrograms per day.

Yet, a single amalgam filling may release as much as 15 micrograms of mercury per day, and according to some estimates, 10 micrograms per day is average. Despite the known health and environmental risks, about half of US dentists are still implanting this toxic metal into their patients’ teeth.

Many simply neglect to let their patients know that their “silver” filling is actually composed of 50 percent mercury.

Consumers for Dental Choice commissioned a poll with the highly reputable Zogby Analytics firm, which found only 11 percent of those surveyed ever recall being told by their dentist that amalgam contains mercury.

Adding to the problem, some insurance companies, like Aetna, will fully cover amalgam fillings but only partially cover (if at all) their far healthier alternatives, like composite fillings.

Aetna Urged to Stop Penalizing Environmentally Responsible Choices

Recently, Consumers for Dental Choice along with approximately 146 dentist and other health care professionals wrote a letter to Aetna CEO, Mark Bertolini. The letter expressed concern that many of Aetna’s dental insurance plans cover mercury-containing amalgam in all teeth while restricting resin composite use. They noted:

“We do not use or recommend amalgam at all in our practices because:

• Amalgam damages teeth: Amalgam requires the removal of more healthy tooth tissue, weakens tooth structure, and can crack teeth as it expands and contracts – leading to higher dental bills later.
• Amalgam exposes people to mercury: Dental amalgam releases mercury, a neurotoxin. Children, the unborn, the hypersensitive, and dental personnel are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of mercury.
• Amalgam pollutes our environment: Dental amalgam constitutes the largest amount of mercury in use in the United States today, and most of this mercury ends up polluting our air, soil, and water. Mercury pollution indisputably can cause health problems, especially for children and the unborn.”

Resin composites are made of a type of plastic reinforced with powdered glass. It is already common in the US and on every continent of the world, offering notable improvements over amalgam, as it:

• Is environmentally safe: Composite, which contains no mercury, does not pollute the environment. This saves taxpayers from paying the costs of cleaning up dental mercury pollution in our water, air, and land – and the costs of health problems associated with mercury pollution.
• Preserves healthy tooth structure, because, unlike amalgam, it does not require the removal of significant amounts of healthy tooth matter. Over the long term, composite preserves healthy tooth structure and actually strengthens teeth, leading to better oral health and less extensive dental work over the long-term.
• Is long-lasting: While some claim that amalgam fillings last longer than composite fillings, the science reveals this claim to be baseless. The latest studies show that composite not only lasts as long as amalgam, but actually has a higher overall survival rate.

According to Consumers for Dental Choice, a 2014 Zogby poll found that more than 75 percent of Americans want their dental insurance policies to cover mercury-free fillings, yet Aetna may be penalizing its clients who choose this option. They noted:

“‘We are concerned that Aetna’s dental insurance policies penalize consumers who choose environmentally-responsible, mercury-free dental fillings (such as resin composite).

… Sometimes Aetna covers composite fillings only in anterior teeth (‘Composite fillings (anterior teeth only)’ and ‘Resin filling – 2 surfaces, anterior’), sometimes Aetna says simply composite fillings are “Not covered.'”

By restricting coverage of composite fillings, these dental plans penalize consumers for making the environmentally-responsible choice.”

As stated by Charlie Brown, executive director, Consumers for Dental Choice:

“American dentistry has totally changed, but Aetna, with its consumer penalty for choosing mercury-free dentistry, appears to be tuned in only to the fading remnant of pro-mercury dentists.  

Half of American dentists refuse to place mercury fillings, consumers increasingly don’t want mercury in their mouths, and the world via the Minamata Convention demands the scaling down in use of mercury fillings. 

Amalgam is the #1 use of mercury in America today.  By straitjacketing low- and moderate-income consumers, Aetna is one of the major causes of mercury pollution in America today.”

Take action now! Click here to sign the petition asking Aetna to stop favoring mercury amalgam fillings and to start paying for all mercury-free dental fillings.