Re: Who's the Quack

Found an interesting article regarding the ADA and Amalgam fillings.

"Such progressive action actually mirrors the position of the original American Society of Dental Surgeons, which, in 1848, required its members to sign pledges promising NOT to use mercury in filling material. When a number of member dentists in New York City violated the pledge and used mercury, they were suspended from the organization for "malpractice by using silver mercury fillings." According to Morton Walker, D.P.M. ("Elements of Danger") the suspended fellows refused to give up their toxic ways because working with mercury offered an easily malleable filling material which required much less time and effort to apply, at a lesser cost than other materials. They formed a new, competitive dental organization, recognized today as the American Dental Association.
Though it strongly supports the use of amalgam, the ADA distances itself from potential liability regarding the substance. It does not certify amalgam, claiming it is a "reaction product" mixed by the dentist. Similarly, the FDA has never certified or even classified "mixed" amalgam. In a tort liability suit, ADA attorneys pleaded: "The ADA owes no legal duty to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists. The ADA did not manufacture, design, supply or install the mercury-containing amalgams, and does not control those who do."8 So, although many dentists have been persecuted for not using amalgam, the majority of those who do are most likely unaware that the American Dental Association has abandoned them legally.


Fortunately, State Dental Boards and Attorneys General in several states have been successfully stopped from prosecuting holistic dentists. In March of this year, the Oregon Dental Board was forced to rescind its "gag order" statutes that had forbidden dentists from even discussing with patients the potential toxic effects of mercury amalgam. States with similar statutes are now on notice, since the ACLU stepped in, claiming that Oregon was in violation of First Amendment rights. A few months ago, California Governor Gray Davis threw out the entire state Dental Board for their irresponsible actions relating to mercury Amalgam information. The ADA has been named in numerous class action lawsuits, which allege fraudulent misrepresentation regarding the Amalgam issue. Congressional hearings are scheduled for this session and many state actions are pending.


And at least one Federal bill (titled the Mercury in Dental Fillings Disclosure and Prohibition Act) has been introduced, by Congresswoman Diane Watson of California, seeking to ultimately rid dentistry of this pre-Civil War material.

http://www.users.qwest.net/~larry333/amalgammercury.html

Thats just part of the article, but I wanted to post the part that exposes the ADA's position on Amalgam fillings. It pretty much explains the "Quackwatch"'s ADA position regarding same. Tweet