A win for us ... FDA changes website
The first crack in FDA’s armor has appeared, folks. This morning, FDA changed its website, adding this sentence: "High levels of mercury vapor exposure are associated with adverse effects in the brain and the kidneys." (Go to http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgam/ucm171094.htm and scroll down to “Potential Risks”). Prior to this, the website did not explain to consumers the damage caused by mercury at all.
Congratulations to all of us in the mercury-free dentistry movement. FDA realizes that its website, like its rule, is a cover-up of the existence and risk of mercury, so its lawyers are trying to ease FDA into a more defensible position (see e-mail below).
But it is still “the Henry Schein Amalgam rule.” It still allows the nation’s #1 distributor of mercury amalgam, Henry Schein Inc. untrammeled rights to market amalgam for everyone, even pregnant women, without even disclosing the mercury to patients. (As you will recall, Schein paid Margaret Hamburg about a million bucks to be its director during her revolving-door time outside of government.)
The website still does not re-instate the language FDA agreed in writing in 2008 to maintain on its website: “Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses.” In particular the website still fails to inform consumers that young children and unborn children are especially susceptible to the effects of mercury. FDA does not want parents to know about this danger to children even though it admits that this information is true (buried deep in the labeling intended for dentists in the new rule’s special controls, the agency writes that “The developing neurological systems in fetuses and young children may be more sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of mercury vapor”).
Now that you had an impact writing Deputy Commissioner Sharfstein. our next step will be to write your Representative in Congress. My next e-mail will suggest talking points and the route to e-mail and to phone him or her.
FDA is covering up the mercury risks, but doing so a little bit less than yesterday. We move forward; they retreat. In the words of our first naval hero John Paul Jones, “We have not yet begun to fight.”
Charlie
11 August 2009
British TV expose on mercury fillings applauds FDA warnings
In February, Britain’s second-largest TV network ran an exposé on mercury fillings called “What’s In Your Mouth?”: http://www.toxicteeth.org/mercury_fillings_Feb_2009.cfm It appeared on Britain’s heavily-watched TONIGHT program in a SIXTY-MINUTES-style format.
I was the sole American spokesman for mercury-free dentistry featured on the show (about 15 or 20 minutes into the clip), and I took the opportunity to present our movement’s successes to the large British audience. By contrast, the British Dental Association executive director’s confrontation with the reporter was a huge defeat for the pro-mercury dental interests.
The show highlighted the FDA warning about the toxicity of mercury in amalgam -- the warning that came about as a direct result of our negotiated settlement against FDA. There it was, right on the screen:
“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses.”
The program focused on another success of our movement -- the fact sheets. Visiting a dental office in Maine, the reporter pointed to the fact sheet about the risks of mercury amalgam, which must by law be given to each patient. This law was written by one of our leaders, Congressman Mike Michaud (while he was a state senator), and was passed by the Maine legislature due to a great grassroots effort spearheaded by activists Pam Anderson and Kathleen McGee.
Small wonder, then, that the reporter challenged British health authorities to try to catch up with the bans in Scandinavia -- and also to keep up with the progress in the United States.
Charlie
19 March 2009
PS--In my interview, I said, “Mercury amalgam is headed to the dustbins of history.” Now let’s make it happen!
Charles G. Brown, National Counsel
Consumers for Dental Choice
316 F St., N.E., Suite 210, Washington, DC 20002
Ph. 202.544-6333; fax 202.544-6331
charlie@toxicteeth.org, www.toxicteeth.org
Working for mercury-free dentistry
02-12-2009
Addition to Feb 09 newsletter
Addition to current newsletter BREAKING NEWS… With the recent admissions by the FDA that mercury fillings should not be placed in pregnant or lactating women, nor in children whose brain is still developing, I feel exonerated. I lost my license for telling people mercury did this and more. Now trial lawyers can come to the front and see to it that dentists – after being sued – should stop poisoning people. I vote to make lawyers part of the health profession.
The article below appeared in the Colorado Journal for Trial Lawyers this month. Or you can click on this link for a copy of the article. www.toxicteeth.org/mercury_dental_fillings_toxic_tort.pdf
02-09-2009
Newsletter from Dr Huggins February 2009
The past few years have been spent examining diseases and associated chemistries controlled by dental materials beyond just mercury. 35 years ago I made a huge mistake. Armed with 12 patient cases, I went to the dental associations asking that mercury be banned due to its obvious poisonous consequences. There were consequences, none of which reduced mercury consumption. Personal consequences resulted in assaults that I had no idea my parent organization would launch, especially when the “code of ethics” spelled out, “If you discover anything that concerns the health of the professional, or the public, you are required to expose that information to the professions and the public”. Sounds pretty responsible, but it was not true when evaluated against liability, financial loss and professional embarrassment.
I feel exonerated to a limited extent by the recent admission of the FDA that there were reasons why they limited mercury in all areas of public exposure, except dental fillings, and I was pleased that they stepped in the right direction by saying mercury amalgam fillings should not be placed in pregnant women and children. I’ve always wondered why pregnant women are so special. Why should I not be protected as well as they?
Today, there is another problem to be confronted. Toxins from root canals, implants and cavitations provide even longer acting consequences than mercury. This time I shall share my findings with non-political entities to turn discoveries and observations into scientific research that can improve the health of the planet far more than providing government paid drugs to cover up symptoms.
By mid February, press releases will be sent out telling of some of the 40 most influential chemistries I have monitored during the past 40 years. 200,000 data points have suggested to me that mercury is not the only dangerous dental material. Porphyrins, spinal taps, cholesterol, white blood cells and albumin have been great teachers to demonstrate how influential toxins from dental procedures can be. You, the public should have a choice. You may choose to smoke, consume alcohol, drive too fast – but! You know the potential consequences. How many people know the consequences of housing the 40 anaerobic bacteria in implants, the 60 in root canals, or the 80 in cavitations? How many know the adverse consequences of trying to fight these microbes with antibiotics?
Should you be told the consequences, or just accept the fact that dentistry has raised the requirement bar of 30 million root canals per year up to 60 million per year. Why the increase? Did they stop making tooth brushes? When would organized dentistry get around to telling you that these bacteria (found in 100% of the samples tested with DNA identification methods) are more damaging than smoking or drinking (or cocaine)?
Watch for information as it hits the media, and please let us know what you saw and where you saw / heard it. This will assist us in getting this important message to the most valuable listeners. You.
06-10-2008
Mercury Dental Fillings May Harm Some
In case you have not seen this - please read -
FDA says mercury fillings may harm "some." If one atom of mercury kills one cell - some is anyone who is composed of one cell or more. Attorneys Charlie Brown and Robert Reeves finally got action. The FDA had to pull the untruthes off their website. The judge criticised the FDA in no uncertain terms. Those words may be forthcoming. For now note that their is a primary victory.
- Dr. Huggins
Click on the link to read the article published by MSN.com
Dr. Huggins will be interviewed Monday, February 25th, by David Sheridan, MD from 12 till 1 PM CST. It will be broadcast on 700 AM KSEV in Houston and 1160 AM in Dallas. You can also hear it online live at www.KSEVRadio.com. Tune in for the latest.
-Dr. Hal Huggins
02-01-2008
Autism and Vaccines- See Eli Stone on ABC Tonight 1/31/08
Attention Attention Attention
If you act immediately, you can potentially help millions of children.
ABC-TV “Eli Stone” program tonight is set to show a “fictional” program – that is phony name of a pharmaceutical company – story of a child who caught AUTISM from a mercury laden flu vaccine. The pediatric association and pharmaceutical industry is trying to get it canceled.
It is on ABC-TV
TONIGHT, Jan 31, 2008. If supportive of preventing creating autism in kids, please go to the ABC-TV contact us page immediately:
• Go to bottom of screen and select the “Contact Us” option
• Complete the form with your comments on the Contact Us page.
To encourage them to please show the program, and allow the public to be exposed to these pathological injections and at least do personal investigations on the web.
