Dear All,

The FDA on mercury amalgams has been what the CDC has been on water fluoridation - cover for the ADA.

So here comes the good news. We see from the email below from Charlie Brown - a lawyer who spends most of his time defending dentists from the bullying tactics of the ADA - that the FDA is at long last breaking ranks from ADA’s cause that mercury amalgams are perfectly harmless to health. In fact they are going to sponsor a  two day hearing on “potential mercury toxicity” from dental amalgam, “specifically as it relates to neurotoxic effects.”

Well done Charlie!

Paul Connett

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From: “Charlie Brown” charlie@toxicteeth.org>

Date: April 5, 2006 8:47:22 AM EDT

To: “Charlie Brown” charlie@toxicteeth.org>

Breakthrough at FDA -  hearings on mercury toxicity from amalgam!!

In a dramatic break from its policy of protecting pro-mercury dentistry, FDA has announced it will hold public hearings about “potential mercury toxicity” from amalgam, especially its “neurotoxicity.” In addition, FDA has at last begun to pry control of this issue away from the American Dental Association — a neurology-based advisory committee has been added to hear the evidence on neurotoxicity.

The FDA’s announcement: http://www.fda.gov/oc/advisory/accalendar/2006/cdrh12518dd09060706.html

 Until now, as you probably know, FDA has been the silent partner to the American Dental Association in protecting (even promoting) mercury fillings.  Disregarding the science and operating in secret, FDA said amalgam’s mercury caused only “allergies” while it wrongly gave control of the process to ADA dentists (plainly unqualified — and conflicted as well).  But thanks to the involvement of two high-ranking officials — Associate Commissioner Randall Lutter and Associate Commissioner Jason Brodsky — this may change.  These two Associate Commissioners met with us last fall, agreed to take up the issue more seriously, and, I guess, read my barrage of letters. So here’s the good news:

 What you can do: Write and thank Associate Commissioner Randall Lutter, RLutter@oc.fda.gov, and Associate Commissioner Jason Brodsky, JBrodsky@oc.fda.gov; ask them to keep the focus on mercury toxicity, and to remove dentists from being in charge of regulating mercury fillings.

The breakthrough is historic, to be sure. But let’s not be naive “hearings can presage action ” or be a classic Washington stall tactic. To date, FDA has not changed its official position on amalgam — no classifying, no pre-market approval, no warnings to pregnant women and children, no disclosure of the mercury. While we praise these FDA officials for introducing the mercury toxicity issue, Consumers for Dental Choice must still consider a challenge to FDAís regulation of amalgam.

 Still, we must celebrate.  By opening up the mercury toxicity issue, it will be hard for FDA to put that genie back into the bottle.Ý For the two-day hearing in September, we must make an unimpeachable scientific record, bring in substantial public participation, and encourage widespread press and Congressional attention.

Charlie, 4/5/06

Charles G. Brown, National Counsel

Consumers for Dental Choice

1725 K St., N.W., Suite 511, Washington, DC 20006

Ph. 202.822-6307; fax 822-6309

charlie@toxicteeth.org, www.toxicteeth.org