The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just posted on its website a revised ruling on the safety of mercury dental fillings when used in pregnant women and in small children.  These silver-colored amalgams are made from a mixture of metals, almost half of which is mercury, that releases mercury vapor during the process of chewing and whenever they are placed or removed by a dentist.

The mercury in the fillings has the potential to produce neurotoxic complications in growing children as well as in developing fetuses.  For this reason, the FDA is now urging pregnant women and anyone else who may have medical conditions making them more sensitive to mercury and other toxins to avoid getting any more dental fillings of the mercury amalgam type.

The administration does not, however, recommend removing any existing mercury-based fillings, which have been commonly used in the dental industry for more than a hundred years.  Instead, anyone seeking dental treatment for their children, during pregnancy and nursing, or who might otherwise be at risk of the effects of mercury exposure is urged to discuss alternative materials with a dentist before proceeding with any new fillings.