DT News - UK - Amalgam phase-out discussed at London meeting

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 27 July 2016

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LONDON, UK: Limiting the use of amalgam in dentistry is a task that needs a combined effort by various actors in and outside of the health care sector, the organisers of a meeting of 50 senior oral leaders in London have agreed. However, by phasing down the material, the profession will have a rare opportunity for more prevention-focused oral health care in the future, they said.

“I was very impressed by the commitment of the major dental community stakeholder to a measurable, equitable and sustainable phase-down of dental amalgam use, as well as the recognition that ‘dentistry can’t do this alone’. This will need the engagement of other actors such as other health professions, the industry and most importantly civil society,” commented Julian Fisher, resource person for the United Nations Environment Programme Global Mercury Partnership Area on Waste Management.

At the meeting, senior oral health leaders from around the globe came together to discuss pathways for reducing the use of amalgam not only in the UK but also on an international level. The conference took place in mid-July at King’s College London Dental Institute in cooperation with Newcastle University’s School of Dental Sciences and the University of Leeds’s School of Dentistry. In addition to presentations on phase-down case studies, such as the UNEP–WHO East Africa project, the multi-day event provided an overview of minimally invasive dentistry programmes. A particular focus was on improved and newly developed materials and the impact the transition to these materials could have on the dental profession in the long run.

“The complexity of something seemingly as simple as changing a material is remarkable,” said the Dental Institute’s Executive Dean, Prof. Dianne Rekow. “Indeed, this ‘simple’ change has ripple effects that change the philosophy and practice of dentistry, as well as the economies of health care.”

“One of the most impressive features of the symposium was the willingness of the participants to explore the implications and interdependencies of the ripples and assertively work toward finding ways to improve both the environment and health,” she stated further.

Various initiatives have been implemented worldwide since representatives of over 190 countries signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Japan three years ago, which agreed on a mercury ban in a variety of products, as well as a phase-out of amalgam. While its use in developing countries is declining, the mercury-containing restorative remains the material of choice in developing countries around the world.

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