This is good news–finally a recognition of the devastating effects of mercury amalgams.    Of course, the United States was right there to sign on….oh, wait….

From the letter posted to our group:

Dear friends,

I have returned from Minamata, Japan where I was honored to witness more than 90 nations sign the new mercury treaty, now formally known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

For three years, our movement worked to get amalgam included in this treaty…and we did it! Together, we have made so much progress:

Three years ago, a few scattered groups in developed countries were battling amalgam by themselves. Today, the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry has gathered environmental organizations, dental societies, and consumer associations from every region of the globe to share experiences, pull technical expertise, and join forces on projects to phase out dental amalgam.

Three years ago, it was hard to get governments to take mercury fillings seriously. Today, the treaty recognizes amalgam as such a big problem that our mercury-free dentistry workshops in Minamata were packed with government officials; indeed about two dozen countries named amalgam as a priority in speeches at the signing ceremony.

Three years ago, amalgam was not an issue at the mercury treaty negotiations, according to the staff leader coordinating the treaty sessions. Today – as we watched nations sign a treaty that requires the phase-down of amalgam, a treaty that can be amended to set amalgam’ s phase-out date – that same staff leader told me, “You made it into an issue.”

As president of the umbrella coalition World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, I was proud to lead our Minamata delegation of talented environmental and dental non-profit group leaders from nine nations and five continents. For us, the treaty signing was not merely ceremonial – we seized the opportunity to meet with environmental ministers, foreign ministers, and even a prime minister to discuss effective measures for transitioning to mercury-free dentistry.

How have we been able to make so much progress in just three years? Because of you. Your support has meant we could get our worldwide team to these treaty sessions. It has meant we could stand eyeball-to-eyeball with the pro-mercury World Dental Federation (FDI) – whom we outworked, out-strategized, and out-pointed. It has meant professionals from developing nations could be there to speak for themselves – and personally refute the claim that mercury fillings belong in low-income countries.

Thanks to hundreds of good folks like you, we met the matching gift goal set by Dr. Joseph Mercola during Mercury-Free Dentistry Week. Your donations totaled $75,000 – and Dr. Mercola will match your donations, dollar for dollar. Now we can start the next stage of our work: using the treaty to stop amalgam use!

With the treaty signed*, it is time to work on getting it implemented. The mercury treaty requires nations not only to phase down amalgam use, but also to take two or more phase-down measures listed in the treaty’s Annex A. But some treaty phase-down measures are effective; others are not. That’s why the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry advocates proven treaty phase-down measures that have worked in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Japan:

Promoting alternatives through consumer education

Changing dental school curriculum to end instruction in amalgam placement and focus on mercury-free fillings instead

Adjusting insurance policies and government programs so they fully cover mercury-free alternatives

We look forward to working with you in this exciting new stage of the campaign for mercury-free dentistry!

Charlie
18 October 2013

Charles G. Brown
National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice
President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry
316 F St. NE, Suite 210 Washington, DC 20002 USA
Phone: 202-544-6333 Fax: 202-544-6331
http://www.ToxicTeeth. org

Our mailing address is:
Consumers for Dental Choice
316 F St., N.E.
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20002