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| Immediate Release
Contact: Bert Hammond
July 16, 2003 (202) 225-7084
Congresswoman Watson Applauds California Dental
Board Vote on Mercury Fillings
Congresswoman Diane E. Watson today applauded
the California Dental Board’s July 11 ruling that directs
all dentists to supply their patients with a dental materials
fact sheet on the potential dangers of mercury fillings (commonly
known as silver fillings). The ruling implements a 1992 law, introduced
by then State Senator Watson, that requires all dentists practicing
in California to provide to their patients a statement on "the
risks and efficacies" of dental fillings. The fact sheet
advises all patients that mercury fillings "can harm the
developing brain of a child or fetus...and cause birth defects
and other reproductive harm."
"After a decade of waiting, I am very pleased
that the Dental Board of California has directed all dentists
to give patients a dental materials fact sheet," said Congresswoman
Watson. "It finally implements a 1992 law that the Dental
Board has constantly been criticized for ignoring. Consumers and
parents have a right to know, in advance, the risks of placing
a product containing a significant amount of mercury, one of the
most toxic elements known to man, in their mouths or the mouths
of their children. Now patients will be informed that there may
be some harm in mercury fillings, and will have a choice."
The new fact sheet was proposed by Dr. Chet Yokoyama,
who chaired a committee appointed by board president Dr. Alan
Kaye. The board voted 7-1 in favor of the new mercury risk fact
sheet.
Earlier this year, Congresswoman Watson introduced
H.R. 1680, The Mercury in Dental Filling
Disclosure and Prohibition Act, which outlaws
after 2008 the use of mercury in dental fillings.
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Mercury
Filling: Should your dentist inform you of the risks?
Mercury or silver amalgam fillings have been linked to multiple
sclerosis, arthritis and mental disorders, but many of the 76 percent
of American dentists who use these fillings don't tell their patients
about the risks.
Troubled by this practice, Thomas Anderson, D.M.D., a dentist practicing
in Houlton, Maine, and his wife, Pamela, recently designed a bill
that would make Maine the first state to require dentists to counsel
their patients on the potential hazards of mercury exposure and
discuss alternative treatments and materials. Unfortunately, their
bill did not pass - in large part because of vehement opposition
by the American and Maine dental associations.
"They aren't denying that mercury is a toxic metal," says
Pamela Anderson, "so why aren't more people worried about mercury
going into our mouths?"
The Maine Dental Association does not encourage its members to discuss
alternatives with their patients, but requiring written consent,
the association says, would imply a risk where none exists, causing
patients unnecessary worry.
Still, says Anderson, it's a choice that should be left up to the
individual. "Patients should be able to weigh the risks and
benefits and decide for themselves," she says. If you want
to urge the ADA to change its position on the use of mercury fillings,
call Consumers for Dental Choice at 1-800-510-0151. For more information
on mercury fillings and alternatives, contact the Environmental
Dental Association at 1-800-388-8124.
--Natural Health |
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