Mercury in Dental Filling Disclosure/Prohibition Act- ...

[Guest guest]

My dentist office had me sign a paper saying they " told " me about

this last week while there for a filling. Does this also refer to

the gold crowns?

Sincerely,

Karri

 

 

In a message dated 1/21/2004 9:26:45 PM Pacific Standard Time,

mistytrepke writes:

 

 

>

> Comments?

> Misty L. Trepke

> http://www..com

>

> Mercury in Dental Filling Disclosure and Prohibition Act

> (Introduced in House)

>

> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:4:./temp/~c108FqqjS1::

>

> HR 1680 IH

> 108th CONGRESS

> 1st Session

> H. R. 1680

> To prohibit after 2008 the introduction into interstate commerce of

> mercury intended for use in a dental filling, and for other purposes.

> IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

> April 8, 2003

> Ms. WATSON (for herself and Mr. BURTON of Indiana) introduced the

> following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and

> Commerce

>

>

>

> A BILL To prohibit after 2008 the introduction into interstate

> commerce of mercury intended for use in a dental filling, and for

> other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of

> Representatives of the United States of America in Congress

> assembled,

>

> SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

> This Act may be cited as the `Mercury in Dental Filling Disclosure

> and Prohibition Act'.

>

> SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

> The Congress finds as follows:

>

> (1) Mercury is a highly toxic element.

>

>

> (2) A dental amalgam, commonly referred to as a `silver filling',

> consists of 43 to 54 percent mercury .

>

>

> (3) Consumers may be deceived by the use of the term `silver' to

> describe a dental amalgam, which contains substantially more mercury

> than silver.

>

>

> (4) Dental amalgam may contain about 1/2 to 3/4 of a gram of

> mercury , depending on the size of the filling.

>

>

> (5) The mercury in a dental amalgam continually emits mercury vapors.

>

>

> (6) Mercury toxicity is a retention toxicity that builds up over

> years of exposure.

>

>

> (7) The California Dental Association, by court order, is sending

> health warnings about mercury fillings to California dental offices

> for posting by March 9, 2003. The warnings are to read `NOTICE TO

> PATIENTS: PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: Dental Amalgam, used in many

> dental fillings, causes exposure to mercury , a chemical known to

> the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive

> harm'.

>

>

> (8) According to certain scientific studies, Health Canada, and the

> Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the Public

> Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services,

> children and pregnant women are at particular risk for exposure to

> mercury contained in dental amalgam.

>

>

> (9) The United States Food and Drug Administration added Health

> Canada warnings regarding mercury in dental amalgam to a consumer

> update issued on December 31, 2002.

>

>

> (10) According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

> Registry, the mercury from amalgam goes through the placenta of

> pregnant women and through the breast milk of lactating women,

> giving rise to health risks to an unborn child or a baby.

>

>

> (11) The Environmental Protection Agency considers removed amalgam

> filling and extracted teeth containing amalgam material to be

> hazardous waste.

>

>

> (12) A report issued June 5, 2002, by the Mercury Policy Project, the

> Sierra Club, Health Care Without Harm, and the Toxics Action Center

> stated that because of mercury fillings dental offices are now the

> leading source of mercury in the Nation's wastewater.

>

>

> (13) The use of mercury in any product being put into the body is

> opposed by many health groups, such as the American Public Health

> Association, the California Medical Association, and Health Care

> Without Harm.

>

>

> (14) Consumers and parents have a right to know, in advance, the

> risks of placing a product containing a substantial amount of

> mercury in their mouths or the mouths of their children.

>

>

> (15) Alternatives to mercury -based dental fillings exist, but many

> publicly and privately financed health plans do not allow consumers

> to choose alternatives to mercury amalgam.

>

>

> SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON INTRODUCTION OF DENTAL AMALGAM INTO INTERSTATE

> COMMERCE.

> (a) PROHIBITION- Section 501 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic

> Act (21 U.S.C. 351) is amended by adding at the end the following:

>

> `(j) Effective January 1, 2008, if it contains mercury intended for

> use in a dental filling.'.

>

> (b) TRANSITIONAL PROVISION- For purposes of the Federal Food, Drug,

> and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), effective December 31,

> 2004, and subject to subsection (a), a device that contains mercury

> intended for use in a dental filling shall be considered to be

> misbranded, unless it bears a label that provides as follows:

> `Dental amalgam contains approximately 50 percent mercury ,

> a highly toxic element. Such product should not be administered to

> children less than 18 years of age, pregnant women, or lactating

> women. Such product should not be administered to any consumer

> without a warning that the product contains mercury , which is a

> highly toxic element, and therefore poses health risks.'.