Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology

ISSN for PRINT: 0731-8898

For Online Access

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2007, Volume26

Issue 4

89 pages

Issue price - $187.00

Richard F. Edlich
Biomedical Engineering and Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Trauma Specialists LLP, Legacy Verify Level I Shock Trauma Center for Pediatrics and Adults, Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, OR, USA

Jill Amanda Greene
Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA

Amy A. Cochran
Clark College, Vancouver, WA, USA

Angela R. Kelley
Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, OR, USA

K. Dean Gubler
Surgical Critical Care Director, Trauma Specialist LLP, Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, Oregon, USA

Brianna M. Olson
Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, OR, USA

Mary Anne Hudson
Public Health Nurse, Coos County Public Health Department, 1975 McPherson St. #, North Bend, Oregon, OR 97459, USA

Dayna R. Woode
Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, OR, USA

William B. Long III
Trauma Specialists, LLP, Legacy Verified Level I Shock Trauma Center for Pediatrics and Adults, Legacy Emmanuel Hospital Portland, OR, USA

Walter McGregor
Biomark Technology Inc., Flemington, New Jersey, USA

Carolyn Yoder
Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience, Harrisonburg, VA, USA

Debra B. Hopkins
IAOMT, Tacoma, WA, USA

Jessica P. Saepoff
Natural Dental Health Associates, Issaquah, WA, USA

Amalgam restorative material generally contains 50% mercury (Hg) in a complex mixture of copper, tin, silver, and zinc. It has been well documented that this mixture continually emits mercury vapor, which is dramatically increased by chewing, eating, brushing, and drinking hot liquids. Mercury has been demonstrated to have damaging effects on the kidney, central nervous system, and cardiovascular system, and has been implicated in gingival tattoos. While mercury amalgams may result in detrimental exposure to the patient, they can also be a danger in dental practices. In Europe, the federal governments of Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden have enacted legislation requiring that dental patients receive informed consent information about the dental restorative material that will be used. In the United States, a few state governments have enacted informed consent legislation for dental patients receiving dental restorations. These state legislations were enacted by Maine, California, Connecticut, and Vermont. It is a sad tragedy that mercury is causing such health damage to many people. The American Dental Association has said for the past 150 years that the mercury in amalgam is safe and does not leak; however, no clinical studies were ever done and the Food and Drug Administration approved amalgam under a grandfather clause. Subsequent studies have shown this claim of safety not to be true. Over ten years ago, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal published a comprehensive article calling mercury restorative material a major source of mercury exposure to the U.S. population. The authors of this paper recommend that federal and state legislation be passed throughout our country to ensure that consent forms are given to patients receiving silver-mercury amalgam restorative material.

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