US dentists: amalgam ban could prove expensive

The American Dental Association (ADA) has spoken out against suggestions that amalgam should be banned.

In a statement, the organisation cited a study published in Public Health Reports that claimed US dental care costs would increase by up to US$8.2 billion in the first year of a ban. The amount is equivalent to 10% of current dental expenditures.

Dental amalgam contains a mixture of metals, including mercury, which combine to form a stable alloy that dentists have used for over 150 years to fill cavities.

According to the ADA, numerous peer-reviewed, scientific studies, including some published in 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, attest to amalgam's safety and efficacy.

Dr L Jackson Brown, a dentist, economist, epidemiologist and former American Dental Association (ADA) managing vice president for health policy, said: "The dental community and public health dentists have long known that amalgam restorations are a vital component in the arsenal to manage dental disease. This study documents the large impact the absence of amalgam would have."

According to the American Dental Association, a "small" group of activists has been lobbying state and federal governments to ban amalgam, claiming that it causes systemic diseases. Dr Brown said: "Dental care would cost more, and untreated caries are likely to increase. Unfortunately, this impact would fall disproportionately on the disadvantaged populations."

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