A coalition of health and environmental groups sued the American Dental Association last month for misleading consumers about the content and safety of dental fillings. The groups say the ADA is duping consumers into believing that amalgam fillings are made of silver, when the major component is actually mercury. A scientist from the University of Kentucky recently testified before Congress that most people with amalgam fillings get an unsafe dose of mercury, which is continually leaking as a vapor into the mouth. Canada, Germany, Sweden, the U.K., and other countries have all restricted the number of amalgams that can be placed in children and pregnant women. For its part, the ADA says the mercury is tightly bound with other metals, rendering it safe.
