Erie County Legislature Majority Leader Joseph Lorigo has introduced a law requiring the disclosure of the country of origin for any and all dental prosthetics placed into a patient’s mouth in Erie County. The law applies both to manufacturers of dental Prosthetic devices operating in Erie County as well as dentists and others who might be handling the final placement and implantation. The law was announced at a press conference held Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at Evolution Dental Science Dental laboratory along with Andy Jakson, CEO of Evolution Dental; Dr. Ronald Jarvis, DDS, MSD; Joe Procopio, President of Pro-Esthetics Dental Lab; and Dr. Ian Walker DDS.
“Today I introduced a law to address a health safety issue in our community that is long overdue. Currently, there are no regulations requiring disclosure of the place of origin for dental prosthetics or their raw materials that could be implanted into people’s mouths. The United States has federal regulations requiring the disclosure of the fiber content, country of origin, manufacturer identity, and care instructions for clothing, but literally nothing for dental. This is shocking and disappointing, especially in light of the potential for the use of lead in some prosthetics manufactured overseas. In Erie County, that stops today. Under this law, both manufacturers and retailers of dental prosthetics will be required to disclose the country of origin of the raw materials used in the devices, as well as the country where they were manufactured. I sincerely hope that my colleagues will support this common sense legislation so that we can start a groundswell across the country. People have a right to know where dental devices are coming from before having them implanted into their mouth,” said Majority Leader Lorigo.
The law would simply require that the product’s place of origin be disclosed by either the manufacturer, if operating in Erie County, or by the dentist operating in Erie County. The law would include dentures, veneers, crown/bridge materials, implants and other items.
“We are excited to have Legislator Lorigo and the Erie County Legislature put the safety of Erie County’s dental patients first,” said Andy Jakson, CEO of Evolution Dental. “This critical legislation moves the dental industry into the 21st century. Dental prosthetics manufactured from inferior materials in third world countries can be unsafe to the oral health of individuals.”
“In my 50 years of being a practicing Prosthodontist, I have consistently put the safety of my patients first, never even considering using dental laboratories from third-world locations that use substandard materials,” said Dr. Ronald Jarvis, DDS, MSD. “Legislator Lorigo’s law is the right thing to do for the dental community. Revealing the source of where the prosthetic was manufactured will go a long way for the welfare of all dental patients in Erie County.”
“At Pro-Esthetics, the patient’s wellbeing is our priority. This is why all of our materials used to fabricate our restorations are produced in the United States or Europe. Our biggest supplier for materials is based here in Amherst, New York. We know the exact makeup of the material, and we know what we are using is the best possible material, period. There is no ‘gray area,’ it is not a cloned, or a knockoff of what should be going into a patient’s body. If you do not know where your product is coming from there is no way to know what it is made with,” said Joe Procopio, President of Pro-Esthetics Dental Lab.
“I look forward to discussing this proposal as we go through the process and hope that my colleagues in the Legislature and the County Executive will ultimately support this law for Erie County,” said Majority Leader Lorigo. “Our greater goal is to see this law imposed at the state or even federal level, but this at least starts the conversation and takes a step forward in protecting Erie County residents.”
To review the law, please visit CLICK HERE. The law will be sent to the Health and Human Services Committee for discussion.