National Dental Groups Sued Over Mercury Fillings

February 23, 2002

Activists Sue Md., National Dental Groups Over Mercury Fillings

Associated Press

Thursday, February 21, 2002; 1:09 PM

Consumers are not being made aware of the use of mercury in amalgam

fillings, according to a class action suit filed Thursday against the

American Dental Association and its state chapter.

The complaint accuses the groups of misrepresenting amalgam dental fillings

as " silver, " when 50 percent of the fillings are mercury by weight. An

attorney for the ADA said mercury amalgam fillings have been proven to be

safe.

The lead plaintiff in the suit, Hogan, of Rosedale, is seeking the

$1,115 she paid for the fillings. The class-action lawsuit, filed Thursday

in Baltimore Circuit Court, also calls for the organizations to cover the

cost of replacing mercury fillings from the mouths of landers.

The lawsuit claims the American Dental Association and the land State

Dental Association have not told patients about warnings from filling

manufacturers about using amalgams on people allergic to mercury, pregnant

women and young children.

The MSDA also is accused of threatening to punish dentists who discuss the

possible dangers of mercury fillings with customers. The complaint said the

MSDA also violated the land Consumer Protection Act by " engaging in

fraudulent and deceptive business practices. "

" Everyone assumes the ADA knows everything about this, " said Khorrami,

the plaintiffs' lead attorney. " Why is the public being deprived of legally

mandated warnings? You can use high school chemistry to disprove the premise

of which they promote amalgam safety. "

M. Sfikas, chief counsel for the American Dental Association, said he

had not seen the suit, but noted that amalgam fillings have been found to be

safe by a number of agencies, including the federal Food and Drug

Administration and the World Health Organization.

" I can tell you there is no danger to anyone who has dental amalgam

fillings. There is only a very, very small percentage of the population that

may be allergic to the ingredients. Except for that small percentage, it is

safe and effective. "

Khorrami said a similar lawsuit was filed in California last June.

Mercury exposure can cause cancer, birth defects and nerve damage. However,

scientific studies on the effects of mercury in amalgam - a term that refers

specifically to alloys of mercury - have been largely inconclusive.

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