FDA admits mercury fillings neurotoxic in children

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http://www.naturalnews.com/024993.html

FDA Reluctantly Admits Mercury Fillings Have Neurotoxic Effects on

Children

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 by: Gutierrez, staff writer

Key concepts: Mercury, The FDA and Mercury fillings

(NaturalNews) For the first time, the FDA has issued a warning that

the mercury contained in silver dental fillings may pose neurological

risks to children and pregnant women.

" Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects

on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses, " reads a

statement that has been added to the agency's Web site. " Pregnant

women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them

more sensitive to mercury exposure, including individuals with

existing high levels of mercury bioburden, should not avoid seeking

dental care, but should discuss options with their health

practitioner. "

The warning was one of the conditions that the FDA agreed to in

settling a lawsuit filed by several consumer health groups.

" Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA's claims that no science exists that

amalgam is unsafe, " said Brown, a lawyer for Consumers for

Dental Choice, one of the plaintiffs.

" It's a watershed moment, " said Bender of the Mercury Policy

Project, another plaintiff.

Mercury is a well-known neurotoxin that can cause cognitive and

developmental problems, especially in fetuses and children. It can

also cause brain and kidney damage in adults.

So-called dental amalgams, or fillings made with a mix of mercury and

other metals, have been used since the 1800s. Although it is known

that small amounts of mercury are vaporized (and can be inhaled) when

the fillings are used to chew food, and though Canada, France and

Sweden have all placed restrictions on the use of mercury fillings,

the FDA has always insisted that amalgams are safe.

Dental amalgams are considered medical devices, regulated by the FDA.

Even the FDA's new warning stops short of admitting that dental

amalgams are dangerous for the general population. Instead, it

focuses on the same population that has already been warned to limit

mercury exposure by consuming less seafood: children and pregnant

women. The FDA says it does not recommend that those who already have

mercury fillings get them removed.

Millions of people have received amalgam fillings, although their

popularity has dropped off in recent years. Currently, only 30

percent of dental fillings contain mercury - the rest are tooth-

colored resin composites made from glass, cement and porcelain. These

alternative fillings are more expensive and less durable than

amalgam, however.

In 2002, the FDA began a regulatory review of amalgam that was

expected to be complete within a few years. In 2006, with the review

still incomplete, an independent FDA advisory panel of doctors and

dentists rejected the agency's position that there is no reason for

concern about the use of amalgam. While the panel agreed that the

majority of people receiving such fillings would not be harmed, panel

members expressed concern for the health of certain sensitive

populations, including children under the age of six.

The panel recommended that the FDA conduct further studies on the

risks to children from dental amalgam, and that it consider a policy

of informed consent for children and pregnant: that is, warning those

groups of the risks associated with the fillings before installing

them.

Part of the lawsuit centered on the FDA's failure to respond to these

recommendations in a timely fashion.

" This is your classic failure to act, " federal judge Ellen Segal

Huvelle told the agency.

As part of the lawsuit settlement, the FDA must reach a final

decision on the regulation of amalgam by July 28, 2009.

" This court settlement signals the death knell for mercury fillings, "

Brown predicted.

But J.P. Securities analyst Ipsita Smolinski disagreed, saying

that the FDA is unlikely to ban amalgam entirely

" We do believe that the agency will ask for the label to indicate

that mercury is an ingredient in the filling, and that special

populations should be exempt from such fillings, such as: nursing

women, pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised

individuals, " Smolinski said.

Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com; ap.google.com;

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