Just when supporters of dental amalgam thought they had seen the last of their most outspoken foe in the U.S. Congress, Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA) is once again calling on dentists to warn their patients about the material.
Watson, who announced that she will retire in January 2011, last month introduced H.R. 4615, the Consumers Have Options for Molar Protection (CHOMP) Act, which would require dentists to provide patients with a fact sheet before placing any restorations.
The ADA is lobbying against the bill, saying it "introduces unfounded fears and undermines the doctor-patient relationship." The ADA is also asking the two dentists in Congress, Reps. John Linder (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID), to write to their colleagues in opposition of the bill.
The ADA also claims success in persuading 11 members to remove their names from a separate resolution, H.R. 648, introduced by Watson in July 2009, that would notify the public about dangers ascribed to amalgam.
Expressing the need for enhanced public awareness of potential health effects posed by mercury in July 2009, in early March Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) took his name off the list of the resolution's cosponsors. To date, 11 lawmakers have withdrawn support.
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