Dental Fillings: Don’t have them, and don’t drink the water

Just a month ago, the official line in the US was that amalgam dental fillings were perfectly safe.  Since then, America’s chief health regulator has said they are dangerous for pregnant women and young children, and now it is may ask dentists to pay out $3,000 for filter systems to stop the mercury from the fillings getting into the water system.

The US Congress has been asking the American Dental Association to testify and explain its resistance to installing the filters, known as separators.  ADA spokesman William J Walsh says his profession acknowledges that it is the biggest contributor to mercury getting into the water system, but says it does its best to reduce the exposure.  However, that ‘best’ doesn’t include paying out for a separator, which Walsh says is too expensive for dental practices to buy.

Congressmen took the opportunity to berate the ADA about the dangers of mercury fillings.  Republican Dan Burton from Indiana said his grandson became autistic after he received nine vaccinations, seven of which contained mercury.

A month is a very long time in politics.

(Source: USA Today, July 8, 2008).