MERCURY CONTAMINATION FROM DENTAL AMALGAM - PUBLISHED - JOURNAL OF HEALTH & POLLUTION Vol.9 No.22 - June 2019

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
Dr. Blanche Grube and I have just had our paper, “Mercury Contamination from Dental Amalgam”, published in the Journal of Health and Pollution. We believe that this is the first paper to address all of the pathways that mercury from dental amalgam enters the environment. While, the contamination from dental amalgam is globally recognized, the significant impact of just how it effects the environment is woefully lacking in research. We highlighted not only the understudied areas, but also the most critical global mercury pollution problem in the world today, ASGM, and how dental mercury also enters that sector illegally.
 
This paper shows the link between dental amalgam mercury pollution and the available growing scientific research, that can no longer be ignored. We are reaching out to policy makers, NGO’s and all interested parties who are working within the framework of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Treaty to urge immediate action to be taken to stop the use of dental amalgam, not by 2030, which according to a recent conference webinar in May, 2019, with the FDI (World Dental Association), is their suggested end date. In fact, FDI continued to cite old research to defend its use and to maintain the status quo. As we have referenced in our paper, another 10 years of using mercury in dental amalgam will have devasting environmental consequences for decades to come, but more importantly, the unjustifiable exposure to another decade of consumers to this known neurotoxin, is unconscionable. FDI even discussed how to address deficiencies of alternative non-mercury fillings in favor of continuing using mercury in dental amalgam, which they called innovative and exciting. There was no discussion on the toxicity of dental amalgam, and FDI was very clear that they are concerned about its discussion in COP 3, as they insist there is no other material that is as good.
 
Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have banned the use of dental amalgam, and the EU mandate has specific guidelines prohibiting the use for children under 15, women who are pregnant and breastfeeding women are also prohibited from receiving mercury dental amalgam fillings, therefore, we know that this is feasible, as there are many economies in the EU, that had to comply. During the FDI webinar, this topic was discussed and how to address questions posed in the dental offices if parents have one child who is 14 and one who is 16.
 
As provided in this research paper, we also have shown there are many solutions and alternatives to non-mercury dental restorative materials. These alternatives are well proven and have been used successfully for decades. Also, due to the global ASGM industry, we have provided viable solutions that are also being used effectively.

​https://www.journalhealthpollution.org/doi/full/10.5696/2156-9614-9.22.190612

Mercury Contamination from Dental Amalgam
Article Citation: Anita Vazquez Tibau and Blanche D. Grube (2019) Mercury Contamination from Dental Amalgam. Journal of Health and Pollution: June 2019, Vol. 9, No. 22, 190612. https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-9.22.190612
www.journalhealthpollution.org
 
The question that begs to be answered is, “Since there are more than enough sufficient solutions and reasons to justify the elimination of mercury in dental amalgam, why don’t we just stop using it?” This is not just an environmental question, but also an ethical one, since it is well known and accepted that mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive material known to man.
 
Sincerely,
Anita Vazquez Tibau
Blanche Grube, DMD