Dateline: 2 October, 1996. Houston, Texas

At the 11th Annual Meeting of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (I.A.O.M.T.), information was presented raising serious concerns regarding potential illegal and improper behaviour on the part of Health Canada officials. Information I.A.O.M.T. gathered via Access to Information indicates that Health Canada was aware of a large body of scientific research and risk information that clearly identifies potential health risks posed by dental silver/mercury fillings. Despite this knowledge, Health Canada, after private meetings with the C.D.A., failed to inform dentists, physicians, and medical and dental patients regarding the full extent of these risks for over 20 years!

FACT: As early as August 31,1976, Dr. Pierre Blais (at that time an employee of Health Canada, Medical Devices Bureau) raised serious concerns about mercury exposure from dental "silver/mercury fillings" in an internal government document. Dr. Blais stated that "the potential hazards with the product [silver/mercury fillings] are so transparently obvious that we [Government of Canada] cannot even appear to ignore it without attracting ridicule...". Yet ignore it they did for 20 years, even though 4 subsequent internal Health Canada documents raised similar strong concerns! (Chawla & Karov: July 10, 1991; Karov, May 5, 1993; Sinclair, July 15, 1994 and Richardson, August 18, 1995.)

Given these Government scientific reports and the considerable published medical research evidence indicating that "silver/mercury" fillings are not suitable for human use, its odd that Health Canada officials have rejected the proper course of action - phasing out the use of this material in Canada. These Health Canada officials have also ignored the conclusions of the Swedish Expert Medical Committee, which has recommended and proceeded with the phase out of silver/mercury fillings in Sweden.

FACT: On October 7, 1982, the Privy Council enacted Amendment #3105-1982, which directed the Department of Health to require pre-market review of all materials to be implanted into the human body for more than 30 days. Tooth filling materials, including silver/mercury fillings, obviously qualify in this category. But, In 1985, Health Canada bureaucrats entered into private agreements with the Canadian Dental Association (C.D.A.) and the Dental Industry Association of Canada to exempt all dental restorative materials from pre-market review (see Health Canada Information Letters, No. 608, 625, 638 and 696; CDA Dental Materials & Devices Document; from Dr. D.W. Jones, May 17, 1985 to the Health Protection Branch; and the CDA Journal, January 1986 News Update, p.6). In doing so, the laws of the House of Commons of Canada were apparently arbitrarily violated by government employees after being influenced by dental trade organizations! Between 1982 and 1994, when the Privy Council officially changed the law (January 13, 1994: Amendment 1994-18), dental restorative materials, regardless of chemical composition, were allowed, uncontrolled, into Canada for human use. This policy continues to this day!

FACT: According to government officials, dental silver/mercury fillings have never been officially approved in Canada by the Department of Health/Health Canada! Moreover, Health Canada officials recently had to inform the C.D.A. for misinforming the public on issues concerning silver/mercury filling safety. (Letter: from Richard S. Tobin, Ph.D., Director, Medical Devices Bureau, Health Canada to Dr. James Brookfield, past President, CDA, February 27, 1996.).

Given these disturbing facts, the I.A.O.M.T. wishes to inform the people of Canada of this grave situation. Further, we call upon the present Government Ministers of Health, Justice and Taxation and the RCMP to investigate the circumstances surrounding these facts to ensure that illegal acts by government officials have not occurred and to ensure that the Canadian Dental Association and the Dental Industry Association of Canada have not improperly influenced Health Canada for their professional and corporate advantage at the expense of the public health.

Dr. Michael Ziff - Executive Director I.A.O.M.T. bioprobe@iousa.net

Also make sure to read these books: Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam (Silver) Fillings...Hazardous to Your Health! and Mercury Detoxification by Tom McGuire