Imagine then what could have happened at Gahanna Middle School had this incident turned out differently.  In 2004 a mercury thermometer was found after science students participated in an outdoor experiment at the school. A teacher discovered the broken mercury thermometer late in the day, around 2:30pm just before school was to cease for the day.   School officials wasted no time in calling the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to commence detection of mercury in the school and on the students’ clothing.

The main concern, said Michael Dalton of the Ohio EPA, was that mercury vapors and residues can cause neurological damage.

Using a mercury detection meter no mercury or residue was found on any of the children exposed to the mercury or their clothing, to the relief of parents patiently awaiting their release. Over 500 students were kept inside until 5:30pm to effectively check for any remaining mercury. Parents did not mind waiting outside, in fact most were appreciative for the care taken by the EPA and school officials. Terri Liechty said “This is inconvenient, but it’s worth it to know our children are safe.” A grandmother waiting for her grandson Lucas stated “I don’t mind waiting at all, I’m just glad everything is OK.”

This is the same mercury that is mixed with a powder before being placed into teeth.  You may know my favorite comment on this:

THERE ARE ONLY TWO PLACES THAT THE EPA AND THE DENTAL ESTABLISHMENT TELLS DENTISTS TO STORE THIS MATERIAL.  ONE IS IN HAZARDOUS WASTE CONTAINERS.  THE OTHER IS IN YOUR TEETH!

The outcome of the settlement has prompted new warnings on the dental amalgam, not an industry ban. The FDA has issued warnings against using the product on “developing children and fetuses” a more specialized distinction in the use of amalgam. Many newspaper headlines and articles have not or do not warn pregnant moms and children directly. An indirect statement such as “Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure….” The FDA was accepting comments on this issue until the end of July 2008.

Regardless of the comments submitted to the FDA, the new regulations will not likely remove dental amalgam from the market. Pepper Long, an FDA spokes person, said “We might perhaps be more likely to have more warnings.” It will fall in the hands of the dentist and their patients to decide what the best solution is, the same as it ever was. Charles C. Brown, chief counsel for the Consumers for Dental Choice, encourages lawsuits against dentist using the material. “If a dentist wants to keep his yacht or second home, he better stop giving this to people.”

Brown believes these new “warnings” and “statements” on the FDA website are the start of a complete ban on amalgam use in the United States. The final decision by the FDA he hopes will include all women of child bearing age, all children, not just those under 6 years of age, and even older children. The FDA started this reclassification of dental amalgam back in 2002, and it sees these warnings and statements as the end result of this process.

The ADA makes no reference to the FDA statements on this issue and has declined to talk or speak with reporters and websites covering this topic. If the new rule or warnings are implemented by the FDA, they will, more than likely, be accompanied by proper use instructions, how to handle instructions and standards for the packaging. Most of the research conducted on this issue supports the continued use of the product, not the ban of its use. Other studies conducted in Portugal and New England showed that children with amalgam restorations showed no signs of harming the children. No signs of neurological concerns or problems have ever been recorded.

A portion of the opponents even agree that there is no direct evidence of harm using amalgam, but James S. Woods, Ph.D., M.P.H, a chemist who participated in the study in Portugal, want the use of dental amalgam stopped. Being a heavy metals researcher he says different people can be affected by mercury based materials, especially those with developing brains and bodies. This is not a concern founded in concrete data, and is speculative at best.
Although the powers at large are still deciding what to do, they have set a date to make their decision. In the next 12 months the FDA will issue its statement on this issue, so we at least will have a decision by next year.