Breakthrough at FDA - hearings on mercury toxicity from
amalgam!!
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The FDA on mercury amalgams has been what the CDC has been on water
fluoridation - cover for the ADA.
So here comes the good news. We see from the email below from Charlie Brown - a
lawyer who spends most of his time defending dentists from the bullying tactics
of the ADA - that the FDA is at long last
breaking ranks from ADA's
cause that mercury amalgams are perfectly harmless to health. In fact they are
going to sponsor a two day hearing on "potential mercury
toxicity" from dental amalgam, "specifically as it relates to
neurotoxic effects."
From: "Charlie Brown" < [email protected]>
Date: April 5, 2006 8:47:22 AM EDT
To: "Charlie Brown" <
[email protected]>
Subject: Breakthrough at FDA - hearings on mercury toxicity from amalgam!!
In a dramatic break from its
policy of protecting pro-mercury dentistry, FDA has announced it will hold
public hearings about "potential mercury toxicity" from amalgam,
especially its "neurotoxicity." In addition, FDA has at last begun to
pry control of this issue away from the American Dental Association -- a
neurology-based advisory committee has been added to hear the evidence on
neurotoxicity.
The FDA's announcement: http://www.fda.gov/oc/advisory/accalendar/2006/cdrh12518dd09060706.html
Until now, as you probably know, FDA has been the silent partner to the
American Dental Association in protecting (even promoting) mercury
fillings. Disregarding the science and operating in secret, FDA said
amalgam's mercury caused only "allergies" while it wrongly gave
control of the process to ADA dentists (plainly unqualified -- and conflicted
as well). But thanks to the involvement of two high-ranking officials --
Associate Commissioner Randall Lutter and Associate Commissioner Jason Brodsky
-- this may change. These two Associate Commissioners met with us last
fall, agreed to take up the issue more seriously, and, I guess, read my barrage
of letters. So here's the good news:
- FDA has opened its doors
for two days of public hearings, in Gaithersburg,
Md. (a Washington
suburb) on Sept. 6 and 7.
- FDA will conduct an inquiry
into the "potential mercury toxicity" from dental amalgam,
"specifically as it relates to neurotoxic effects."
- The emerging issue becomes
not filling teeth but harm to developing brains of children, to unborn
babies, and to all of us.
What you can do: Write and thank Associate Commissioner Randall Lutter, [email protected], and Associate
Commissioner Jason Brodsky, [email protected];
ask them to keep the focus on mercury toxicity, and to remove dentists from
being in charge of regulating mercury fillings.
The breakthrough is historic, to be sure. But let's not be naive "hearings
can presage action " or be a classic Washington
stall tactic. To date, FDA has not changed its official position on amalgam --
no classifying, no pre-market approval, no warnings to pregnant women and
children, no disclosure of the mercury. While we praise these FDA officials for
introducing the mercury toxicity issue, Consumers for Dental Choice must still
consider a challenge to FDAís regulation of amalgam.
Still, we must celebrate. By opening up the mercury toxicity issue,
it will be hard for FDA to put that genie back into the bottle.Ý For the
two-day hearing in September, we must make an unimpeachable scientific record,
bring in substantial public participation, and encourage widespread press and
Congressional attention.
Charlie, 4/5/06
Charles G. Brown, National Counsel
Consumers for Dental Choice
1725 K St., N.W., Suite 511,
Washington, DC 20006
Ph. 202.822-6307; fax 822-6309
[email protected], www.toxicteeth.org