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.

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