Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reaffirmed its position that the use of mercury in dental amalgam fillings is not a serious health threat. More than 100 million Americans have received amalgam fillings, which typically contain close to 50% liquid mercury bound with an alloy of other metals. For many years consumer advocate groups and health advocates have joined with scientists to point out that these fillings release toxic mercury vapors when inserted or removed and even when people are chewing. Mercury is a toxic element associated with neurological impairments and other illnesses.


The FDA claims that studies fail to show a causal relationship between amalgam fillings and the health conditions associated with mercury exposure. Many health advocates dispute the FDA's claim, pointing out that there are also many additional environmental sources of mercury and heavy metal exposure that are contributing to these health problems and making it increasingly more difficult to isolate the extent to which the fillings themselves contribute to these illnesses. Other sources of mercury and additional toxic metals include vaccines, industrial pollution, batteries, and personal care products. Furthermore, military atmospheric manipulation aerosols widely sprayed in the skies since the 1990s are reported to contain toxic levels of barium and other elements that can produce harm similar to that associated with mercury toxicity.

Leading natural health advocates point out that acknowledging mercury amalgam hazards would create a major legal and financial liability for dentists and dental amalgam manufacturers. They believe that the FDA and the ADA (American Dental Association) are sweeping this under the rug, even while the use of amalgam fillings has greatly decreased as dental professionals have recognized the danger of using these. Dentists are known to have statistically high suicide rates and high mercury levels in their blood and hair. They are exposed to mercury vapors so it is in their own interest as well as patients' interest to halt using mercury amalgam in their practice. There are presently a great number of practitioners of dentistry who are considered biological dentists or holistic dentists and who advertise that they do not use mercury fillings. Many of these dentists also assist patients in safe removal of existing mercury amalgam, a practice that is often helpful in addressing health problems associated with mercury exposure.