Urgent Action Alert--Must repond by February 18th!
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Your Comments Needed by February 18th!
As required by law-proposition 65-the California Dental Association is,
after many years and a successful lawsuit, creating a fact sheet for
patients about the dangers of mercury in fillings. The association has
dragged their feet and tried every stalling trick in the book to avoid
providing this information as required by Prop. 65.
Finally, a draft fact sheet has been created. Although its purpose is to
inform consumers about the hazards of mercury toxicity, the six-page fact
sheet only devotes 2 small paragraphs to this topic, and incredibly
misleading paragraphs at that.
Why is this such an important issue?
Dental amalgam, often referred to as a "silver filling", consists of 43%
to 54% mercury. Scientists at the California EPA Proposition 65 division
have determined that dental amalgams cause exposure to mercury, a chemical
known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other
reproductive harm. These fillings release elemental mercury vapor gas
continuously throughout the life of the filling. The amount increases with
any kind of stimulation such as chewing or brushing. Since mercury vapor
is rapidly absorbed from the lungs, your dose of mercury from
mercury/silver fillings exceeds all other sources of mercury exposure
including fish.
Additionally, mercury is not only a health consideration once it is in our
mouth. A report issued June 5, 2002 by the Mercury Policy Project, the
Sierra Club, Health Care Without Harm, and the Toxics Action Center stated
that because of mercury fillings, dental offices are now the leading
source of mercury in the Nation's wastewater.
Consumers have until February 18th to post comments to the California
Dental Association fact sheet. Even if you do not live in California,
health and access to information impacts us all - and this fact sheet will
most likely set the precedent for other states to follow.
Go to
www.citizens.org
and demand that consumers be provided truthful, accurate and direct information about
this serious health issue.
Additionally, please tell your Member of Congress to support the Mercury
in Dental Filling Disclosure and Prohibition Act, HR 1680. Use our action
tools at
www.citizens.org
to urge your Member of Congress to co-sponsor and support this important bill.