Senegal, Thailand and Uruguay Governments Team Up to Reduce Dental Amalgam

The governments of Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay have launched a joint project worth $13 million to reduce the use of dental amalgam, a material used by dentists to fill cavities. Dental amalgam is a combination of mercury and silver-based alloys designed to treat tooth decay, a condition affecting over 2 billion people worldwide. The project aims to address the significant risks to human health and the environment caused by mercury waste generated during the removal of fillings.

Mercury Entering Solid Waste Streams

According to estimates, 30-40% of mercury in amalgam enters solid waste streams, accumulating in water, soil, and the atmosphere without breaking down. Additionally, reports have identified potential health risks to oral health personnel from mercury exposure if working conditions are not properly organized.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury outlines 11 measures to scale down dental amalgam, including discouraging use in patients under 15 and in pregnant and breastfeeding women. However, the challenge remains to ensure the environmentally sound management of dental amalgam waste, especially for small dental practices that cannot afford technologies to separate mercury and prevent leakages.

Project for Better Mercury Waste Management

The three-year project, led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with funding from the Global Environment Facility and executed by the World Health Organization (WHO), will phase down the use of dental amalgam in Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay, improve the management of mercury-containing waste and raise awareness on the health and environmental risks associated with mercury use in the dental industry.

Estimates suggest that between 3,000 to 5,000 metric tons of mercury are stored in the mouths of people worldwide in the form of dental amalgam, making the waste amalgam created by the dental industry a global issue. The project comes at the right time, as cost-effective, quality mercury-free alternative materials and minimally invasive procedures are growing, according to WHO Director for Noncommunicable Diseases, Dr Bente Mikkelsen.

Strengthening National Policies

The three countries will strengthen their policies based on international best practice, improve technical capacity on mercury disposal and waste management methods, convene environmental and health professionals, and encourage an enabling environment for the introduction of mercury-free alternatives through engaging civil society, academia and the private sector. The project also provides the ideal opportunity to promote the primary prevention of dental caries as being the optimum strategy to phase down the use of dental amalgam.

“The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is thrilled to participate in this project,” said Christopher Fox, IADR CEO. “Even if we completely eliminate the use of dental amalgam, the profession will be removing dental amalgam restorations for decades to come, which is why environmentally sound management of the associated dental amalgam wastes is so important.”

FDI World Dental Federation also looks forward to sharing the key learnings and best practices from this phase-down project with its global membership, according to FDI Executive Director, Mr Enzo Bondioni. Countries may accelerate their transition beyond their commitments to the Minamata Convention to phase-out mercury amalgam use completely.