California City Says Stop Dental Amalgam Immediately

Costa Mesa, California has become the first city in the

United States to call for an immediate end to dental amalgam,

the controversial filling material that is 50% mercury. Voting 5-0

on 19 October 2010, the Costa Mesa City Council adopted the

resolution* sponsored by Councilman Gary Monahan that

(1) calls on federal and state agencies to eliminate amalgam,

(2) asks dentists in Costa Mesa to cease using mercury and switch

to non-toxic alternatives, and

(3) requests that the other 33 cities in Orange County join

Costa Mesa in opposing dental mercury. While as a resolution,

it does not actually ban amalgam, it is an important step toward

ending this health and environmental scourage.

"There are so many alternatives and I can't understand why we're

putting this in our mouth," explained Councilman Monahan. “[I]t's

incredibly dangerous to people getting them and to the environment.”

The watershed Monahan Resolution is the first success for Californians

for Green Dentistry, a new project of Consumers for Dental Choice.

Californians for Green Dentistry has a trio of dedicated leaders:

Director Anita Vazquez Tibau spearheaded the strategy leading to

this resolution along with dental hygienist Marisa Russo and

naturopath Kristy Mills.

Since July, our hardworking California volunteers distributed handouts

alerting the public to the problem of dental amalgam, gained the

support of numerous local health professionals and businesses, and

collected hundreds of signatures on petitions to city council. In response,

the Costa Mesa City Council granted us the hearing to address dental

mercury. At the city council hearing, our talented team – including dentists,

health professionals, injured consumers, scientists, advocates, and even

former Californian Dental Board member Dr. Chet Yokoyama – offered

poignant testimony calling for a ban on dental mercury.

Our story is told by video that can be viewed by clicking here, and dentist

Dr. Jim Rota’s compelling testimony can be viewed in full by clicking here.**

We also made the front page of the local news, which can be read online.***

It’s time to take this primitive and polluting mercury product off the

market, and we can start in the trend-setting state of California! If you

are a Californian and want to join the Californians for Green Dentistry

team in the fight against dental mercury, please write Anita and me at announcements@toxicteeth.org . Let us know your name, home county,

and home city.

No matter where you are from, please thank Costa Mesa

Councilman Gary Monahan for standing up to protect our communities,

and especially our children, from dental mercury. He can be reached

by email at gmonahan@ci.costa-mesa.ca.us

Congratulations Costa Mesa, California!

-- Charlie

Charles G. Brown, National Counsel
Consumers for Dental Choice
316 F St. NE, Suite 210
Washington, DC 20002
202-544-6333

*also available at http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us/council/agenda/2010-10-19/RESOLUTION-DentalMercury.pdf

**also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ITNVvFbhxY & http://www.talkinternational.com/costa-mesa-resolution.html

*** also available at http://articles.dailypilot.com/2010-10-18/news/tn-dpt-1019-mercury-20101018_1_amalgam-silver-fillings-silver-fillings

*********

NOTE: Californians for Green Dentistry salutes Councilman Gary Monahan

and the City of Costa Mesa for their forward-thinking and resolve to create

a safer and healthier city for their citizens, visitors and surrounding

communities to enjoy.

Our mission continues.

OC