Cent4dent Blog

Today ( Nov. 14) was a turning point in the congressional investigation of the environmental and health dangers of mercury amalgam fillings. Carol Ward, VP of DAMS, Karen Palmer of Bethlehem and Karen Burns of NJ, dental assistants who have been occupationally disabled from exposure to amalgam and myself attended the Washington DC hearing.

Chairman Dennis Kucinich, U.S. House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Congresswoman Diane Watson and Congressman Dan Burton were relentless in questioning FDA and EPA as to their lack of evidence supporting their notion that mercury is safe in fillings. After the hearing, Kucinich told me not to be concerned, that they would continue to investigate the lack of oversight and action by the FDA and EPA. Rodney Mackert, ADA spokesperson, attempted to minimize the health and environmental impact of mercury from dental offices by stating that there was more environmental mercury from goal mines than dental offices and that the Bisphenal A in white composite fillings was more of a concern than mercury in amalgams. Kucinich hammered at him to stick to dental amalgam, that this hearing wasn’t about gold mines or other Bisphenal A. Watson hammered FDA’s Alderson about the fact that governmental law states that this agency must make an environmental impact statement relative to amalgam, which they have not done. FDA said they could not give her an answer, but would consult with their legal team.

The responses from FDA, EPA and ADA were not in the least satisfactory to the Congress people, and I suspect they will be on the hot seat until action is taken to reduce environmental exposure and/or remove dental amalgam from the marketplace to reduce environmental contamination and human exposure to mercury.

Stay tuned…………….this is only the beginning of the Subcommittee’s investigation of the FDA and EPA’s neglecting to do their own homework on the environmental and health risks of amalgam. The messages from Kucinich, Burton and Watson summed up: Where’s Your Science proving it safe, and why haven’t you done your own studies rather than relying on out of date research from other agencies and dental organizations?