By Maura Lerner
June 5, 2004
Star Tribune
A chorus of Minnesota dentists came to the defense of one of the oldest tools of their trade on Friday, saying that consumers have nothing to fear from the mercury in their fillings.
At an unusual public hearing, the dentists clashed with consumer activists who want the state of Minnesota to issue a warning about the mercury mixture known as amalgam, which has been used to fill cavities for more than a century. "Right now, the science is telling us there's no risk," Dr. Kimberly Harms, a Farmington dentist, said at the St. Paul hearing sponsored by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. "We don't want to create fear and panic in our patients. We need to tell them the truth, based on sound science."
A consumer group called the Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry has petitioned the Minnesota dental board to prepare a brochure on the health risks of dental materials and to lift what it calls an unwritten "gag rule" on dentists who believe mercury fillings are dangerous. "The board has a history of enforcing a gag rule," said Charlie Brown, an attorney for the coalition. "If a dentist feels mercury fillings are unsafe, they should be free to say that."
Consumer activists claim that mercury leaks out of dental fillings and can cause nerve damage, multiple sclerosis, cancer and other diseases. But virtually all major health groups, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health, say there's no evidence of harm. Several witnesses, however, told the board that they blamed their illnesses on mercury fillings and that they started to recover when the fillings were removed.
Brown said Minnesota should adopt the kind of warnings used in California and Maine, which tell consumers that so-called silver or amalgam fillings are nearly half mercury. "Is there a single consumer that would not want to know this is mercury?" he asked. "No gag rule exists here in Minnesota," said Dr. James Zenk of Montevideo, vice president of the Minnesota Dental Association. He said dentists are encouraged to talk about the risks and benefits, as long as the information is supported by science. "The science is clear," said Harms, past president of the dental association." And to suggest a link to these diseases where none exists would be a tremendous disservice to our patients."
The use of mercury fillings has dropped dramatically since 1990, from about 67 percent to about 30 percent of all fillings, according to Dr. Frederick Eichmiller, a spokesman for the American Dental Association. He said that the fillings have been replaced by natural-looking plastic composites, but that amalgam fillings are still needed for larger fillings.
The board said it would consider whether to act on the petition at its fall meeting on Sept. 24.
Maura Lerner is at mlerner@startribune.com.