Amalgam-Related Lawsuits Dismissed

Amalgams are a type of dental tooth filling which, unlike gold or porcelain fillings, contain mercury. In the past several years, the American Dental Association (ADA) and several state dental chapters have come under the attack of numerous lawsuits for supporting the continued use of amalgams. In addition, bills to ban the use of mercury have been introduced in Congress and in several state legislatures.

Amalgam-related lawsuits have rested on the criticism that the level of mercury present in amalgams causes harm, and have claimed that dentists often misrepresent amalgams as "silver" fillings. However, these types of lawsuits have continuously been dismissed for lack of scientific evidence connecting amalgams to harm.

Mercury-Containing Amalgams

Amalgams contain mercury, which can be toxic at high levels of exposure. The latest research concerning amalgam fillings has linked mercury to heart disease, trigeminal neuralgia, depression, kidney damage and hearing loss. Lawsuits in California and Georgia have even accused amalgams of causing autism.

However, scientists have determined that it is safe to absorb up to 40 micrograms of mercury daily, and mercury absorption from amalgams is only from one to three micrograms daily.

Federal Organizations That Affirm the Use of Amalgam Fillings

Despite criticism that the mercury levels in amalgams can cause autism, autoimmune diseases and Alzheimer's, the following federal organizations have systematically denied any scientific link between amalgams and harmful diseases:

• The American Dental Association
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Consumers Union
• World Health Organization
• World Dental Federation
• National Institutes of Health