Mercury is a metal that is toxic for humans. Mercury has been part of those metal fillings that dentists put into your teeth when you have cavities -- and they've been doing this for the past 150 years. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally began revisiting its March 2009 assertion that mercury dental fillings were safe.
This isn't something that the FDA does very often, so why are they bothering with dental amalgams? Because lots of people think they aren't safe -- as in, they can seriously injure and kill people.
Other Countries Ban or Severely Limit Mercury Fillings for Dental Cavities
Mercury fillings are banned in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. In Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, mercury fillings are legally limited. In each of these countries, mercury amalgams are not to be used for dental patients who are kids; women who are either pregnant or breast feeding; anyone suffering from kidney problems; and people with a sensitivity to mercury.
What's the big deal?
Apparently, the FDA decided to have a meeting on this issue because of the Petition for Reconsideration it received from the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT). The petition challenged the FDA's research and its assumptions regarding mercury usage, and included analysis that mercury vapor from dental fillings is transfered from the fillings in a person's mouth into every organ of their body -- and this absorption by the brain could result in Alzheimer's disease or worse. From Matthew Young DDS, IAOMT President:
"The cumulative dose and health effects of mercury from all sources will eventually force a ban on all optional use of this toxic metal. Mercury based fillings are the greatest contributor to mercury exposure in humans according to this recent risk assessment and the World Health Organization's Mercury Policy Report."
What Should You Do?
If you or your loved ones have had cavities filled, then odds are high that you have mercury in your mouth. Many dentists will tell you this is not a problem, and that it's just not scientific to think otherwise. Still, it's your life and your teeth, so you be the judge.
If you have dental amalgams in your mouth, you can consider having them removed. Read more about that process here. If you need a filling, then consider the options: gold, composite resins, or porcelain fillings are all available to you.
And, if you are having symptoms of illness -- nauseous, fever, headaches, a general feeling or malaise, dizzyness, earaches, etc. then remember, it may be a dental issue. Trust your instincts and get help from a health professional, and if a dentist has been at fault remember -- the law is there for you: dentists can be held liable for malpractice just like doctors can.
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