Dentists are Disciplined and Gagged for Warning the Public about Mercury Fillings
The state threatened to review Dr. Breiner's license to practice after he wrote an article, published July 6, 2003 in the Connecticut Post, saying, "I am convinced that mercury in these amalgams is neither stable nor inert; scientific evidence suggests it goes to all tissues and organs, especially the jaw, liver, kidneys and brain." Soon after the article was published, the state Department of Public Health told Dr. Breiner that he had to "refrain from submitting any more editorials concerning [his] opinion of amalgam fillings and/or legislation."In his support of the federal bill to ban mercury fillings and his warning the public about the dangers of mercury fillings, the Department of Public Health said Dr. Breiner had violated his first consent order back in 2001 to not speak against mercury fillings.
On December 20, 2003 the Daily Press published an editorial by Dr. David Kennedy. (Both Dr. Kennedy from California and Dr. Evans belong to the IAOMT.)Different Standards
Thank you for bringing attention to a very important, biased issue in the dental community. The Dec. 20 article "Dentist reprimaned for misleading public " referred to a local dentist advertising in the Virginia Gazette that he practiced "natural dentistry." Sandra Reen, the executive director of the virginia Board of Dentistry, refused to explain why the phrase "natural dentistry" implies a claim of superiority, saying that information was "not a matter of public record."
Dentists as well as laypersons will be interested in Reen's definition of natural dentistry. Claims of superiority are usually quite clear. This case requires some examination.
What is wrong with a dentist advertising natural dentistry? Why does it imply a claim of superiority? Why is that information not a matter of public record?
Also, can the Board of Dentistry explain the following samples of advertisements in Virginia phone books by dentists?
These ads are dishonest, insulting, deceptive and claim of superiority to mislead the public. The Virginia Board of Dentsitry needs to define why they have a double standard for different dentists.
- Experience the future of dentistry today
- Discover our advanced dentistry with a soft touch
- Combining art and science to give you the highest quality care
- Quality dental care for the discriminating patient
- State-of-the-art dentistry
Anne Ferreira
Williamsburg
I was appalled that the Virginia Dental Board has once again chosen to thwart the free exchange of dental health information and reprimand an excellent, highly qualified, health oriented dentist who had the audacity to provide mercury-free care to his patients.A lot of products are called natural, but natural dentisty is not a category of dentistry recognized by the ADA, so dentists that advertise had better not put a "speciality" name on their practice, such as "natural." There was a dental organization known as The Institute for Natural Dentistry, but they have now changed their name to The Institute for Nutritional Dentistry.
They claim that he is misleading the public, yet they have never once reprimanded a dentist for calling a 50% mercury filling "silver." Be honest, toxic mercury fillings aren't silver. They are more than 50% mercury. They should truthfully be called mercury fillings.
Natural appears on every box of cereal in the health food store and no government agency has found that to be misleading to the public. Why don't they crack down on trade associations, like the American Dental Association, that have falsely claimed for 150 years that mercury/silver fillings do not release mercury?
Research has proven that mercury/silver fillings do release substantial amounts of mercury and, as a result, are the predominant source of human exposure to this very toxic element. We read every day about the dangers of pregnant women getting mercury from fish. In 1991 the World Health Organization determined that the majority of human exposure to mercury is from mercury/silver fillings.
I think it is time for a new, more honest, dental board and for the dentists to stop misleading the public by calling toxic mercury fillings "silver." The dental board should be ashamed of their behavior, in once again serving their trade association and not the public's best interest.
Sincerely,
David Kennedy, DDS
International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology
Davidkennedy-dds-@cox.net
3243 Madrid Street
San Diego, CA 92110
619-247-5738
http://www.mercurypoisoned.com/dentists_disciplined/dentists_gagged.html