Mercury is a pernicious poison that should never be placed in your mouth. Yet half of the dentists in the U.S. still use dental or “silver” amalgam, 50 percent of which is mercury, not silver. Mercury is the most volatile and toxic of the heavy metals, and the vapors released when chewing or brushing pose a clear and present danger to health — especially your brain and kidneys, as mercury is a neuro- and nephrotoxin. It’s also toxic to your reproductive system.

As such, it’s really shocking that mercury amalgam is still being allowed to be placed mere inches from a child’s developing brain. Charlie Brown, president of Consumers for Dental Choice and the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, is a fearless activist for mercury-free dentistry.

He’s spent the last two decades tirelessly advocating for the complete elimination of mercury from dentistry across the world. Consumers for Dental Choice and the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry have made great headway over the years, but the battle will not be over until mercury is no longer making its way into the mouths of anyone, anywhere.

During our annual Mercury Awareness Week, we encourage you to contribute to this incredibly important cause, which can have profound health benefits for generations to come. As in previous years, I will match your donations, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000.