Congress berates dentists over mercury

Courtesy of Associated Press

The dental industry, asked to testify about pollution from mercury in tooth fillings, found itself under attack from lawmakers. The hearing was about whether dentists should be required to install "separator" equipment to keep pieces of fillings from getting into public wastewater. Currently, dentists in nine states are required to use separators. The American Dental Association, before its spokesman testified, faced deeply personal diatribes from Reps. Dan Burton, R-Ind., and Diane E. Watson, D-Calif. Burton talked about his grandson, saying the child became autistic not long after receiving nine vaccination shots, seven of them containing mercury. Watson blamed mercury fillings she got as a 9-year-old for allergies, headaches, darker and splotchy skin and trouble remembering people's names. She talked to researchers who thought she had mercury poisoning. "I had to go to Mexico — I asked my own dentist about it, and he stuffed something in my mouth and wouldn't even discuss it," Watson said. Mercury makes up as much as 54% of silver fillings, also called dental amalgam. Last month, the government warned for the first time that silver dental fillings and the mercury they contain may pose a safety concern for pregnant women and young children. The Food and Drug Administration posted the precaution on its website to settle a lawsuit.

The ADA spokesman, William J. Walsh, seemed taken aback by the focus on mercury poisoning. He said his profession already acknowledges that dental fillings are the biggest single contributor to mercury in wastewater. But his organization opposes a mandatory requirement for separators, which can cost anywhere from $750 to nearly $3,000 to install.