Burlington Free Press
March 7 , 2006
My Turn: Get the mercury out
A recent editorial (“Remove mercury from our environment, Feb.15) appropriately discusses the importance of collecting mercury from auto switches and thermostats before they can pollute the environment, and the legislative incentives that are needed to effectively accomplish this. Yet while we have looked outwardly at the sky, the water, auto salvage yards, and industrial sources to prevent mercury pollution, we have neglected to look inward – in our mouths.
Yes, the main component of those gray-colored dental fillings that many of us have is mercury. Most of us already know that mercury is so toxic that it’s a disaster for our fish, our natural resources, our tourism industry, and our own lives and health. But two-thirds of us, according to a Zogby poll of New Englanders conducted for the Mercury Policy Project, don’t know that amalgams (“silver” fillings) contain about 50 percent mercury.
This poll, released February 14, makes clear that people don’t want mercury in their mouths – two-thirds of New Englanders would pay more to get a mercury-free material. About 90% of us believe our dentists should be required to tell us about dental mercury and over two-thirds would support a ban on placing amalgam in pregnant women and children.
A solution beckons, one already adopted by three New England states. Dental clinics must do what this poll – and common sense – suggests. Dental patients get a fact sheet, one that plainly explains that amalgam is mainly mercury, that it gives off toxic mercury when in the mouth, that the mercury released can later get taken up in fish—and that children and pregnant women are most at risk. Why? Because children’s brains are still developing—and mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that attacks the brain, kidneys and nervous system. As a precaution, in 1996 Canada began directing its dentists to stop placing mercury-containing fillings in children under six and in pregnant women, and those with impaired kidney function.
The exciting news is that amalgam is no longer needed, for the most part, in dentistry. For example, mercury-free dental fillings are now used over 95 percent of the time in Sweden. Modern dentists now use alternatives like resin or porcelain. Based on advice from our own Health Department, the Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution recommended to the Governor and Legislature that dental clinics in Vermont provide patients with the same fact sheet being used in Maine—and which Connecticut’s dental best management practices started requiring just last month. The Advisory Committee also suggested that the Legislature follow Canada’s lead and consider a phase-out of amalgam for pregnant women and children, based upon a precautionary approach.
New England leads the nation in reducing mercury pollution, but Vermont risks falling behind on reducing dental mercury use. We can catch up with the rest of New England by including patient notification about mercury and non-mercury fillings in the Department of Environmental Conservation’s soon-to-be finalized procedures for best management practices for Vermont dentists.
Michael Bender, of East Montpelier, co-chairs the Vermont Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution, and serves as Director of the Mercury Policy Project.
The Zogby poll results are available at: http://www.mercurypolicy.org/new/documents/WhatPatientsDontKnow.pdf.
The Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution’s 2006 annual report is available at:
http://www.mercvt.org/acmp/reports/2006_report.pdf.
The Maine Department of Health’s dental consumer brochure is available at: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/files/odh/AmalBrochFinal2.doc.