By: Adela Garapan Ida
The International Association of Oral Medicines in Toxicology (IAOMT) a Non-Government Organization (NGO) with the cooperation with other Non-Government Organization such as; Philippines Ban Toxic, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK) and the Philippine Society of Clinical & Occupational Toxicology (PICOT)held their Press Conference at the Max Restaurant, Quezon City Circle, Tuesday, July 5, 2016.
The Theme is “HEALTHY TEETH, HEALTH BODY, and NO MERCURY AMALGAM.”
The panelists and guests were the following: Mr. Teddy Monroy, Phil. Ban Toxics; Dr. Lilian Ebuen, IAOMT; Ms. Emma Montibon, PSLINK.
The call of the government today is to protect the rights of Filipino people to safe environment, friendly and mercury free dental treatment and to enable the early phase-out of Dental Amalgam.
Dental Amalgam is known as silver filling, composed of 50% mercury with dominant dental restorative materials. With neurotoxic mercury as a main ingredients, that is the reason why the safety for its use and the harmful effect to our health is being questioned.
According to the Scientific Evidence-based Research, the effect of Mercury is harmful to the health of our dental professionals, students and most especially the patients.
In order to respond with the prevailing issues concerning dental problems and to phase-out Dental Amalgam, IAOMT had made an appeal and brought these issues to the following government agencies for their proper actions and recommendations:
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Gina Lopez to ensure the hasty approval of the Revised Chemical Control Order (CCO) for Mercury with a 2020 Timeline for the phase-out of Dental Amalgam.
- Department of Health, Sec. Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell Ubial to ensure preventive oral health care is given priority in primary health care and that more positions are open for community dentists.
- PRC AND CHED to ensure phase out the use of mercury.
As reported, even though its harmful effects of dental amalgam, Filipino preferred to use this because of its affordability especially to those who are below the poverty line. As a matter of fact, there are 7 million Filipinos who have not seen a dentists at all for dental check-ups and treatment that’s why they are suffering dental caries.
However, our government as partners must act and promote the practices in achieving a nation free-caries and phase-out mercury dental Amalgam but instead to use other alternatives that is available and affordable. #
