What is being done to stop the use of dental amalgam mercury fillings?
A. Many promising advances have taken place. A bill was introduced in Congress that would phase out the use of dental amalgam mercury fillings. It would begin by requiring a warning to all consumers, and ban the use of mercury fillings in pregnant women and children under 18. By 2007, the bill would call for mercury filling use to be banned entirely. The bill currently lacks the support it needs to pass, and it faces powerful opposition from the ADA and mercury manufacturers lobby. New Hampshire passed legislation this year to require that patients be warned about the risks of mercury fillings. In California, legislation is pending thats similar to the federal bill to ban mercury fillings. Norway is also considering banning amalgam use.
