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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Daylin Leach
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Leach bill would spotlight dental amalgams, address FDA settlement
HARRISBURG, June 5 – A statement by the Food and Drug Administration acknowledging the risks associated with mercury fillings has prompted state Rep. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, to urge action on dental legislation he has introduced in the state House of Representatives.
Leach's bill (H.B. 1898) would create a patient notification brochure that would have to be provided to all Pennsylvanians before they receive a dental filling containing mercury.
On Monday, the FDA settled with consumer advocate groups, including Moms Against Mercury, once it was determined that silver-colored metal dental fillings contain mercury that may cause health problems in pregnant women, children and fetuses.
Leach said better patient awareness would have avoided many of the complaints.
"A full half of a typical dental amalgam filling is made of liquid mercury, but I would surmise that most people are not aware of the risks that can be involved with that," Leach said. "You don't go to the dentist office thinking your treatment will involve a potentially harmful toxin. Pennsylvanians should also be made aware of this health and environmental threat, and of existing effective alternatives to mercury fillings. My bill would do that."
Leach explained that mercury is a toxin that attacks the central nervous and endocrine systems. Overexposure to mercury can cause damage to the brain, nerves and hormonal functions, often producing a condition nearly identical to autism. Children, pregnant women and women who wish to become pregnant are at a particular risk.
Mercury fillings are currently considered by the federal government to be an environmental hazard before and after their use, and other studies show some release of mercury during installation of the fillings and continued emission of mercury vapor throughout the life of the filling.
Leach noted that several states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire, have enacted statutes mandating that patients be notified of the potential health threat posed by fillings containing mercury.
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