Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has done a lot already to help move us closer to a fluoride-free future. But there’s another dental toxin that many would also like to see him go after: the mercury used to make so-called “silver’ fillings.
“As a presidential candidate,” wrote Charlie Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice in an opinion piece for the Tampa Bay Times earlier this year,
John F. Kennedy promised to stop federal housing segregation with a “stroke of the pen” — a promise he kept.
Today, his nephew, Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., can do likewise — making Americans healthier and our environment safer by ending the continued use of toxic mercury in federal programs. Mercury is the primary substance (more than 50%) in the amalgam products that the pro-mercury dentists — fortunately, on a steep decline in America — have falsely labeled as “silver” fillings for more than a century.
Since then, more than 100 dental professionals have signed onto a letter urging RFKj to take action.
Meantime, science continues to highlight the danger of mercury exposure from dental amalgam and other sources. One paper published earlier this year focused on the risk posed to two particularly vulnerable groups: mothers and children.
Pregnant women and children are particularly susceptible to mercury’s toxic effects, with research linking prenatal mercury exposure to developmental delays, neurocognitive deficits, and conditions such as autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, the long-term accumulation of mercury in the body raises concerns about delayed health impacts in individuals exposed during childhood. Recent findings suggest even low levels of mercury exposure may contribute to kidney damage mediated by oxidative stress, highlighting the importance of monitoring mercury levels in vulnerable populations. Prenatal mercury transfer and postnatal exposure through breastfeeding further amplify the risks. This review critically assesses the health implications of mercury exposure from dental amalgams, focusing on its impact on pregnancy and childhood development. It underscores the need for updated regulatory measures to mitigate mercury-related risks and calls for further research to clarify the extent of mercury’s long-term effects on human health.
Such risks are why FDA guidance includes these groups among those who should avoid mercury amalgam – specifically, nursing moms, children (especially those under age 6), and women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy. People with neurological conditions, kidney problems, or allergies to any components in dental amalgam are also told to avoid amalgam fillings.
All together, that’s roughly two-thirds of the US population. Ultimately, though, mercury is safe for no one.
There’s just no need to keep using this risky and outdated material – especially when there are so many excellent biocompatible alternatives available, such as the composite resins we use to make tooth-colored fillings. Not only is composite strong; placing it doesn’t require a dentist to drill away as much natural tooth structure as when placing amalgam. The restoration is bonded directly to the tooth.
One 2024 study – one we blogged about a while back, in fact – found that the failure rate for composite was significantly lower than that for mercury amalgam, despite the fact that many more composites were placed during the study period. Where just over 17% of all amalgams had to be redone, root canaled, or extracted, only about 12% of the composites failed.
This study indicates that composite is superior to amalgam and therefore it is reasonable to cease using mercury-containing amalgam.
And we think it’s way beyond time to do so.
