According to the Food and Drug Administration, silver dental fillings may pose a threat to two groups that are presently urged to limit mercury from another source, seafood. Silver dental fillings contain mercury, and the government for the first time is warning that, "There may pose a safety concern for pregnant women and young children." The Food and Drug Administration posted the precaution on its website this month, to settle a lawsuit, making the move a victory for anti-mercury activists.
It has been widely known that too much mercury can harm a developing brain. Silver fillings, properly known as dental amalgams in dentistry, "contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses," reads the FDA web posting.
That doesn't mean it truly harms, and the FDA advises against removing existing fillings. Amalgam fillings are about 50 percent mercury, joined with silver, copper and tin. They also cost more which is one reason silver fillings enjoy a more widespread use over resin composite. Composite is blended to match the color of a patient's enamel giving a cosmetic benefit and possibly a safer alternative.
The FDA is still studying whether the small amount of mercury vapor released by chewing and brushing is enough to cause neurologic disorders or other problems in youngsters. There have been only a handful of rigorous studies comparing children given either amalgam fillings or tooth-colored resin composite fillings that are mercury-free. Those studies haven't detected any brain problems.
This spring, the FDA put dentists on notice that it is considering additional controls, including whether to require warnings that would advise consumers of the mercury in amalgams before they have a cavity filled, or perhaps even restrict use in small children and certain other patients. While a decision is being made, the FDA is accepting comments from the public until the end of July when a ruling will likely be made.
"Science operates on a precautionary principle," said Dr. Karl Kieburtz, a University of Rochester neurologist who co-chaired the 2006 FDA advisory committee and praised the new warning. He also said, "For 99 percent-plus of people, there probably isn't harm. But if there is a group of people who might be at risk, they should at least have the knowledge that may be so." There is much agreement with Dr. Kieburtz, this writer included.
If you recall, mercury fillings have been linked to Multiple Sclerosis in the past. The evidence was inconclusive as this group is not among those receiving the warning.
One report stated, "Several other countries limit amalgams, either as a precaution in pregnant women and small children or because of environmental concern." Dental workers make amalgam fillings by mixing liquid mercury with powdered ingredients, requiring special safety steps and filters to limit waste seeping back into the environment.
2008 by Avis Ward of
AWard Company, LLC
