British Dental Association Chief Executive Peter Ward has issued an apology for the interview clips of him that were broadcast on ITV's Tonight programme on the evening of 16 February. The programme, called 'What's in your mouth?', looked at the issue of the safety of mercury amalgam fillings.

In an open apology to all dentists posted to his blog on the BDA website, Mr Ward has written:

'Many of you will have watched the Tonight programme 'What's in your mouth?'. For those who did (and indeed those who didn't) I must offer my full and unmitigated apologies for my performance. The scenes that were broadcast represent a small fraction of the interview that did not follow the sequence I expected and caught me by surprise. That is, however, no excuse for the spoiling tactics I adopted on the spur of the moment. To my colleagues, I would like to say that I am truly sorry.'

Explaining the context from which the clips were taken, Mr Ward said: “For the sake of information, you may wish to know that the interview with me was for approximately one hour, during which time I answered many questions on the inertness of amalgam, on the extensive studies that have failed to reveal any connection with harm, the longevity of restorations and the fact that the dental profession has no vested interest in defending the material as they themselves come into contact with it more significantly than their patients. I also pointed out that dentists and their families are patients too and that they still use amalgams themselves.'

Following the broadcast the BDA has also taken steps to address the issues raised by the programme, issuing a statement to calm fears about amalgam safety and providing dentists with easily accessible online information resources via its website that can be used in conversations with patients. They are accessible at: http://www.bda.org