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The FDA admits mercury fillings are harmful
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally admitted that mercury from amalgam dental fillings may be toxic to children and developing fetuses. The admission came as the FDA settled a lawsuit filed by Moms Against Mercury and others concerned about mercury exposure.
Anyone who knows me even casually has to be aware that the banishment of mercury amalgams in dental fillings has been one of my passions for many years. Mercury is a poison, and it has no place in the mouths of humans (or animals, for that matter). Yet the professional dental community and government health authorities have steadfastly denied that any harm is done by using mercury in dental fillings, despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary, as I made clear in my book A Mouth Full of Poison.
As part of the court settlement, the FDA agreed to alert consumers about the potential health risks on their Web site. The decision by the court also begins a comment period on the safety of mercury amalgams that ends in a year. The FDA must reconsider its proposed classification of mercury amalgam as a Class II device, the same category of safety as wheelchairs, requiring only a simple warning. The American Dental Association and amalgam manufacturers don’t want mercury amalgam to be placed in Class III, because that would mean they have to prove that it is safe to use. They can’t do that, and they know it. They know that the medical evidence continues to mount that mercury amalgam damages human cells and contributes to a long litany of illnesses, especially neurological disorders. I believe this court ruling is a necessary first step in completely banning the use of mercury for all medical and dental procedures.
