December 15, 2010
Association supports continued amalgam regulation and research
Gaithersburg, Md.—The Association commended an advisory panel’s call for continued research while offering support for the Food and Drug Administration’s current amalgam regulation. The panel found that FDA acted appropriately in ruling last year that dental amalgam is a safe and effective treatment option for the general population.“The panel recommended continuing review of existing and new scientific information as it becomes available,” said Dr. Raymond F. Gist, president of the American Dental Association. “As a science-based organization representing a science-based profession, we support this.” The dental products panel Dec. 15 concluded two days of public hearings on FDA’s regulation of dental amalgam as a medical device.
“As with all clinical issues, our position on amalgam is based on the best available science,” Dr. Gist said. “We will continue to maintain or revise our positions on oral health and oral health care issues accordingly. At the end of the day, all treatment decisions should be made by patients with the advice of their dentists. We support the rights of all patients to decide how best to maintain and improve their oral health.”
The Association testified at the hearings and offered an update of the scientific literature by ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs covering studies published between Jan. 1, 2004 and June 15, 2010.