“FDA Panel Reviews Health Safety of Mercury Amalgam Fillings - ABC News” plus 1 more |
| FDA Panel Reviews Health Safety of Mercury Amalgam Fillings - ABC News Posted: 15 Dec 2010 11:33 AM PST By JANE E. ALLEN, ABC News Medical Unit Dec. 15, 2010 A federal advisory panel is trying to decide whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relied on adequate science when it determined last year that mercury amalgam can safely be used to fill cavities in healthy people. At the time, the FDA didn't find evidence that dental mercury hurts developing fetuses, young children and those more sensitive to its potential health effects. The FDA's scientific review of evidence about dental amalgam fillings, commonly called "silver fillings" because of their silver-gray color, found them safe for adults and children at least 6 years old. Dental amalgam is an approximately 50-50 mixture of liquid mercury and powdered metal alloy of silver, tin and copper. When mixed, it forms a pliable putty-like substance that hardens into place. The mercury in amalgam fillings, called elemental mercury, releases small amounts of mercury vapor – a substance that at high levels can be toxic to the brain and kidneys. Vapor levels are highest right after fillings have been placed in a tooth, and later if they're being removed or replaced. People trying to stop the use of mercury in dentistry say mercury vapor levels are boosted by chewing, eating, brushing teeth and drinking hot liquids. The mercury that accumulates in the bodies of fish is methylmercury, which is generally considered more toxic. "Even in adults and children ages 6 and above who have 15 or more amalgam surfaces, mercury exposure due to dental amalgam fillings has been found to be far below the lowest levels associated with harm," according to an FDA document titled "About Dental Amalgam Fillings." The document says mercury levels in breast milk also fall below those considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, the World Health Organization has said that amalgam restorations are safe and effective. However, many Americans still worry about dental mercury exposure, and some have sought out mercury-free dentists who advise them to have their amalgam fillings removed and replaced with other types of fillings. Some mercury amalgam opponents fear that having the heavy metal in the mouth is related to higher rates of autism and behavioral problems in children, although there hasn't been proof it causes neurological injury in youngsters. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Funding threatens state health depts. - United Press International Posted: 14 Dec 2010 10:40 PM PST Published: Dec. 15, 2010 at 1:48 AM WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The economic crisis is threatening to erode progress state health departments have made in preparing for public health emergencies, U.S. researchers say. Robert M. Pestronk, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, says the Trust for America's Health's annual report card on states' ability to respond to such emergencies warns that the decade of progress made since the Sept. 11, 2001, and anthrax tragedies is threatened by a lack of funding. From January 2008 to December 2009, local health departments lost 23,000 jobs to layoffs and attrition, roughly 15 percent of the entire local health department workforce. In the second half of 2009, 13,000 local health department employees were subjected to reduced hours or mandatory furloughs. "As the report reveals, under very challenging circumstances state and local health departments have made progress. Yet, this report highlights serious gaps in our nation's ability to respond to health crises, from outbreaks of infectious disease to natural disasters," Pestronk says in a statement. "Unfortunately, a lack of federal, state, and local budget resources is straining an already fragile public health system. Because the first response to any public health emergency is a local one, we are concerned the federal failure to sustain public health preparedness funding at the state and local level will jeopardize future response." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Add Images to any RSS Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment