Amalgam fillings

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is going to review the risks mercury-containing dental fillings called amalgams pose to patients, officials say.  Mercury is a known toxin and many experts concern that vapors released from the mercury fillings would increase the risk of developing brain and kidney damage especially in children and the fetus of pregnant women.

On Friday, FDA agreed to review its last year’s ruling on mercury-containing dental fillings that indicated amalgams are harmless for dental patients.

Many US experts including dental and medical professionals, lead by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), have provoked new challenges to FDA’s last ruling, asking the administration to ban or increase the regulation on dental amalgams.

The American Dental Association, however, said earlier this month “there is no scientific reason to revisit” FDA’s 2009 ruling and that the data has not changed since. It also added that porcelain fillings are more attractive, but not always as durable or strong as silver, especially for back teeth.

Critics have questioned scientific evidences and methods used by FDA in reaching its previous decision.

The public meeting concluded that the FDA has three options in this regard: it can continue to back silver fillings, it can urge more caution in using them or it can ban the use of these fillings all together.

Via Press TV