It’s Time to Make Mercury Dental Amalgam History
by Anita Vazquez Tibau,
Researcher
Abstract
Mercury dental amalgam has held the position of the most prevalent dental restorative material for over a century, tracing its roots back to the mid-1800s. Its historical acceptance as safe and effective was reinforced in 1976 when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). Dental care has evolved significantly since then. Decades of rigorous, evidence-based research have unveiled a reality that no longer supports the notion of safety. The turning point in the global perspective on mercury and its impact came with the Minamata Convention on Mercury Treaty, which entered into force in 2017. What raises significant concern is the status of mercury dental amalgam within this treaty. While various products and processes that the treaty designated for outright bans, such as blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, and batteries, there is no specified time limit for the use of mercury dental amalgam. This raises a pressing question: why is mercury dental amalgam the sole exception? It is important to underscore that mercury dental amalgam stands as the fifth-highest use of mercury globally, a disconcerting fact given the well-documented adverse effects of mercury on health and the environment. This unique status within the treaty hinders the overarching objective to “Make Mercury History.” This ambitious goal remains unattainable without a clear and determined timeline for the phase-out or ban of mercury dental amalgam. There is no place in modern dentistry to continue using mercury dental amalgam.