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 After decades of hearing their mercury-based dental fillings called “silver” and “amalgam” by their dentists and the FDA, it shouldn’t be surprising that Americans are feeling more than a little misled about what’s being put in their mouths.

A new report released today by Consumers for Dental Choice, based on a poll by Zogby Analytics, makes clear that deliberately misleading terms for mercury-based dental fillings have led to deliberately misled consumers.

A copy of the report and poll findings is available here.

The bottom line, according to Zogby’s poll of 1,508 Americans: A significant majority (57%) aren’t aware that neurotoxic mercury is the primary ingredient in “silver” or “amalgam” dental fillings and nearly one-in-four (23%) believe that silver is the primary ingredient.

Other key findings from the Zogby survey include:

• Only about one-in-ten (11%) of Americans report ever being told by their dentists that amalgam fillings are mostly mercury.

• And, two-out-of-three (66%) of the poll respondents believe their dentists do not provide them with enough information about alternatives to mercury-based dental fillings to help them make informed decisions for themselves and their families.

Consumers for Dental Choice released the Zogby results as part of a special report today. That report, “Measurably Misleading”, set out to measure exactly how little most consumers know about what’s in their dental fillings, and how this lack of knowledge affects their healthcare decision-making.

Joining Consumers for Dental Choice in endorsing the findings of the report are: the Mercury Policy Project; Organic Consumers Association; International Indian Treaty Council; Alliance for Natural Health and Clean Water Action.

According to Charlie Brown, executive director of Consumers for Dental Choice: “We knew, of course, that Americans were being misled about mercury-based dental fillings through the use of terms like “silver” and “amalgam.” What we learned through this poll is just how measurably effective these word games have been and the implications all this deception has for policymaking. What is clear through this research is that it’s time for the FDA to stop misleading and start leading when it comes to American families’ right to know what’s in their dental fillings.”

The key problem behind all these misled consumers is the fact that the FDA has failed to provide consumer labeling or patient education when it comes to mercury-based dental fillings. Without that labeling and education, misleading terms like “silver” and “amalgam” are all the information most consumers get from the FDA, the dental industry and their own dentists.

Not surprisingly, nearly two-out-of-three (63%) of Americans, according to the Zogby poll, consider the term “silver fillings” to be misleading.

“Under FDA law and regulations, “mislabeling” and “misbranding” are defined as ‘incorrect,’ ‘inadequate’ or ‘incomplete’ information. If mercury-based dental fillings were regulated under that law – as they should be – terms as incorrect as ‘silver’ or as inadequate and incomplete as ‘amalgam’ would no longer be permitted,” Brown explained.

There’s strong support for greater government engagement in protecting Americans’ right to know the mercury content of their dental fillings and what non-mercury alternatives are available.