The Associate Editor

Amalgam, Autism and the Beauty of Holland

Steven A. Gold, DDS

Copyright 2002 Journal of the California Dental Association
 

By now, you may be aware of a recent lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County in which the California Dental Association was named as a defendant. The plaintiffs claim that their son was born autistic as a result of silver amalgam fillings in his mother’s mouth. Among other defendants named are the American Dental Association and several amalgam manufacturers. The suit claims that there was a conspiracy on the part of the defendants to cover up both the facts that amalgam contains mercury and that amalgam has proven adverse health effects. Of course, most dentists feel this claim is unsubstantiated and, as one CDA leader put it, "completely without merit." The ensuing course and ramifications of this lawsuit remain for speculation, but we can be sure that the dental profession will, once again, mount a considerable effort to meet the challenge of defending its integrity. The case will likely receive ample coverage in association news publications.

While such claims are, at the least, alarming and frustrating to the dental profession, I cannot help but feel that the true victims in this situation are the parents of the autistic child. Not only do they have the challenge of caring for and raising an autistic child, but someone has also obviously misled them as to the potential cause. Perhaps in their own anger and frustration, they have sought this recourse as a way to pacify those feelings and gain some sort of satisfaction. However, the action they have chosen is likely only to produce a lose-lose-win situation for themselves, the dental profession, and their attorney, respectively.

I can only imagine the feelings parents must experience when they are faced with the prospect of raising a child who is anything other than normal and healthy. Perhaps there are no words that can adequately comfort those facing such a crisis, however the poignancy of the following story is a reminder that hope is always worth searching for. I heard it told by Dr. Marvin Berman, who lectures on dental behavioral management of children. I hope it inspires you, as it did me, to maintain an optimistic point of view as you meet the challenges of life; whether it is fighting for the integrity of the dental profession or caring for a loved one with a disability.

On the day they found out their child was autistic, a bewildered young couple asked one of their son’s doctors how they could best cope with their child’s condition. She responded in the following way: "Imagine that the two of you have decided to take a vacation to France. It has been a long-time dream, and so you begin to plan with excitement and enthusiasm. You research the best time of year to go. You decide on all the places in the country you want to visit and the activities you would like to do. An itinerary is drawn up, and travel and accommodation reservations are made far in advance. You study up on the culture, customs, and even take an intensive crash course in French to maximize the enjoyment of your visit. Passports are secured. As your departure date nears, you carefully pack your bags for the trip with all the clothes and belongings appropriate for your stay in France. Your excitement builds and after a last-minute check to make sure everything is in order, you are off to the airport. The long flight is passed by pleasant thoughts of the experience ahead of you. You draw closer to your destination and finally touch down, ending a perfect flight. As the plane slows, a flight attendant happily announces, ‘Welcome to Amsterdam.’

"You expect that this is either a cruel joke or a mistake and await a second announcement that you are, in fact, on the ground in Paris. But it does not come. First there is denial. Surely this cannot be. Perhaps proceed through customs and leave the airport to see for yourself. But there is no doubt. The architecture, the canals, and the sounds of Dutch being spoken finally convince you that you are in Amsterdam. Your denial turns to panic and confusion. You have no reservations for accommodations and you have no idea where to begin to look. The language, currency customs and countryside are all unfamiliar to you. You have clothes for the mild climate of France and outside it is cold and gray. At this point, you have a decision to make. You can spend your entire vacation trying to figure out what went wrong and who is to blame; and you can occupy your thoughts by longing for the beauty of France. However, if you do, then you will surely have a miserable vacation and more importantly, you will miss out on what is right in front of you: the beauty of Holland."