The European Commission has published draft legislation to phase out dental amalgam in 2025. The revision of the EU Mercury Regulation has been expected since December 2022 and includes a ban on mercury-containing light bulbs and lamps.
Since there are viable mercury-free alternatives, dental amalgam shall no longer be used for dental treatments of any member of the population from January 1, 2025. The proposal also includes a ban on its manufacture and export, making an important contribution to reducing mercury emissions internationally.
The use of dental amalgam for children under the age of 15, as well as breastfeeding and pregnant women, has already been banned in the EU since 2018.
Amalgam consists of 50% mercury, one of the world’s most toxic substances. Despite all precautions taken in dentistry, mercury inevitably enters the environment, where it transforms into the even more toxic form methylmercury and contributes to mercury accumulation in the fish we eat.
Before the Commission’s proposal can take effect, it must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council. Given the delay, however, the Parliament will have to move fast to complete all the formalities before the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“This is a milestone. Finally, we get a regulation for dental amalgam, the largest remaining use of mercury in Europe and a serious threat to health and the environment,” says Florian Schulze, director of the European Network for Environmental Medicine, who has been pushing for the phase-out for years.
“Numerous countries, such as Sweden, Norway, Moldova, Lithuania, Switzerland, Bolivia, Ecuador, Indonesia, the Philippines, or Zambia, have already phased out the use of amalgam. Most recently, Poland had replaced amalgam with alternatives in the statutory health insurance,” explains Schulze.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EU) 2017/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 17, 2017, on mercury as regards dental amalgam and other mercury-added products subject to manufacturing, import, and export restrictions: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SEC(2023)395&lang=en.
Global Overview of Countries Phasing Out Dental Amalgam: https://environmentalmedicine.eu/mercury-free-dentistry-for-planet-earth/.
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Tobias Blad-Stahl/Shutterstock.com.
