Holistic dentists, health professionals, and environmental advocates celebrated last November as leaders from around the world gathered in Japan to sign the Minamata Treaty on mercury. A known neurotoxin, mercury is a dangerous substance that threatens the health and safety of all animal, plant, and human life. Mercury is still used in dental amalgam, and these "silver fillings" are known to be extremely hazardous to patients. Holistic dentists are perhaps most excited with the signing of the Minamata Treaty, because it establishes a foundation for the eventual "phase out" of mercury fillings, which are a leading cause of environmental mercury waste (source: World Health Organization). To learn more about the Minamata Treaty, visit this exclusive on the Miami Dentist Blog.
http://www.assureasmile.com/miami-dentist-blog/minamata-treaty-promises-global-ban-on-mercury-dental-fillings/Sunday, December 29, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Watch the Signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
For over 50 years, mercury has been used in dental amalgam (silver fillings) to perform a variety of dental procedures. Although the American Dental Association has not recognized that this is a major health issue, other countries, agencies, and health experts from around the world disagree. In addition to posing a serious threat to patient health, these mercury fillings are toxic and extremely harmful to the environment. The groundwork for the Minamata Convention on Mercury was created in 2010, and this video shows the historic signing of the international mercury treaty. Health advocates and environmentalists believe the treaty will be the first of many to lead to the complete "phase-out" of this harmful material.
http://iaomt.org/information-gallery/videos/Thursday, July 11, 2013
Dentsply Urged to Cease Production of Toxic Dental Amalgam
Pennsylvania citizens and representatives from more than a half dozen countries have issued a wake-up call to Dentsply. The company is the world's 2nd largest manufacturer of dental amalgam, a metallic mixture that was originally used to fill cavities and perform other restorative procedures in the 1900s-early 2000s. The material is being phased-out, however, due to high mercury content and potential danger to human health. It is quickly being dropped by dental practices around the world, and it has recently been removed from the curricula at the NYU College of Dentistry. As the 2nd largest manufacturer of toxic dental amalgam, Dentsply has been urged to cease production of this dangerous material.
http://www.assureasmile.com/miami-dentist-blog/dentsply-urged-to-cease-production-of-toxic-dental-amalgam/Saturday, March 2, 2013
Are Mercury Fillings Safe?
The use of mercury fillings has decreased by 30 percent in the last decade, but according to the American Dental Association, hundreds of millions of people still have them in their mouths. Even today, with all of the information pointing to mercury’s toxicity, dentists still use it to fill cavities of 50 million teeth each year. Mercury is a known neurotoxin, and its exposure is known to cause impaired cognitive skills, tremors and sleep disturbance in people with continued exposure, even at low levels. Even a short duration of mercury exposure can cause chest pain, cough, difficulty breathing, impaired lung function and negative effects to the central nervous system. So why is this substance still used in dentsitry?
http://www.assureasmile.com/miami-dentist-blog/are-mercury-fillings-safeFriday, March 1, 2013
Are Mercury Fillings Safe?
Chest pain, uncontrollable coughing, dizziness, and tremors are each side effects of mercury exposure. So why is this material used to fill cavities? The "mercury controversy" has been a very real issue in the dental community for nearly 5 decades. From the traditional standpoint, dental amalgam was (at one time) approved by the ADA and considered safe for use in dental procedures. Today, holistic dental practitioners understand that the long-term consequences of using mercury-rich dental amalgam may include immune system damage, loss of cognitive skills, kidney impairment, central nervous system damage, and a variety of other very serious health issues. In 2012, great progress was made towards a mercury-free future when the New York University College of Dentistry officially banned the use of dental amalgam in their clinics and removed it from students' competency exams.
http://www.assureasmile.com/miami-dentist-blog/are-mercury-fillings-safe