According to one DentalBlogs reader, the Philadelphia City Council is scheduled to vote on the Mercury in Dentistry Bill tomorrow. If passed, the bill will require that dentists must inform patients (with a brochure) that amalgam fillings are 50% mercury and could be hazardous to their health. Governments in Maine, New Hampshire, and California are considering similar laws.
Of course, dentists use amalgam because it offers a less expensive alternative to patients not interested in esthetic restorations. DentalBlogs has addressed research that indicates the cost increase to the general public and the potential adverse health risks for those (especially children) who cannot afford composite resin fillings. The ADA has deemed amalgams safe. Still, many dentists have voluntarily chosen to place only composite resin fillings because of their esthetic appearance and safety issues.
Some research indicates that amalgams cause gray hair, affect hormones, cause hair loss, gum disease, migraines, poor memory, depression, anxiety, mental lethargy, chronic fatigue, eczema and asthma, arthritis, backaches, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, MS, other neurological disorders – excuse me while I take a breath – damages DNA, alters structure of proteins, disrupts communication between cells, induces free radical tissue damage, inhibits antioxidant enzymes – and the list goes on.
Want to research both sides of this issue?
Check out the ADA (for) and Consumers for Dental Choice (against) online.