Amalgam: Never Do This with Your Teeth

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After enormous public pressure from scientists, dentists, health professionals, and consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) promised to make an announcement about dental amalgam by the end of 2011.

Dental amalgam, of course, is 50% composed of the dreadful neurotoxin mercury.

At a September public hearing in San Francisco, Jeffrey Shuren, director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH, the branch of the FDA responsible for the approval and safety of all medical devices), said that the FDA will make an “announcement” on a new amalgam policy by the end of 2011.

When questioned by a reporter at a major newspaper, the FDA repeated that it would act in 2011.

As 2011 came to a close, the suspense grew as everyone speculated whether the FDA would actually act or whether it would continue its decades of protecting the profits of pro-mercury dentists instead of protecting the health of American children.

With just six minutes left in the work year, at 4:54 pm on Friday, December 30, the FDA conceded that no announcement was forthcoming – not in 2011, and maybe not at all.

In that midnight statement, one FDA press person, Karen Jackler, said that another FDA press person, Morgan Liscinsky, would answer questions about amalgam.

So when the respected trade publication FDA Webview asked, Liscinsky said: No announcement.

And no target date for FDA to do anything on amalgam.

Instead, FDA said what it said ten years ago: it will “continue to study the safety of amalgam.”

FDA has broken yet another promise on amalgam.

Why Won’t the FDA Act to Protect You Against Toxic Mercury?

The FDA’s history of protecting dental amalgam is a long one.

For the past 32 years, the agency has refused to issue any public warning about its neurotoxic risks, and in 2009, the FDA declared it safe under Class 2 for adults and children over the age of 6 who are not allergic to mercury—despite the overwhelming evidence showing mercury to be highly toxic and easily released in the form of vapor each time you eat, drink, brush your teeth or otherwise stimulate your teeth.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Megan B.

7:51AM PDT on Sep 2, 2012

I have so many of these nasty things in my mouth and I can't afford to do anything about it. I'll just let 'em slowly poison me I guess.

September 2
send a green star

Kathy P.

3:39PM PDT on Aug 25, 2012

glad i have none of this

August 25
send a green star

Shirley E.

10:28AM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Having had my amalgam fillings for 40 years and still being hale and hearty I'm really not going to start worrying about them now!

August 14
send a green star

Diane B.

4:55PM PDT on Aug 9, 2012

I had all my silver fillings replaced about 25 years ago, there was a little concern raised about amalgam fillings back then. I mostly did it because tooth colored fillings looked so much nicer and I could afford to do it.

August 9
send a green star

Joe R.

8:01AM PDT on Aug 9, 2012

I've had all my amalgam filling replaced. Wish I had done it earlier.

Susan A.

5:16AM PDT on Aug 9, 2012

Article has extensive and compete info I need to share with my dentist as well as friends. Thank you!

Samantha D.

7:06PM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

i am increasing my knowledge on the truth on amalgam fillings. Recently my children had a dental appointment...they had cavities and it was recommended they have amalgam fillings. I asked if they offered an alternative and they said "we recommend amalgam to compsite because it is completly safe, it won't chip or crack and it last longer.." I mentioned my concern about the mercury and they insisted there is nothing to worry about. But still I hesitated to schedule that appointment.