Sweden Bans All Mercury Fillings

Sites Environmental Reasons For Eliminating Dental Amalgam Use

The Swedish government said it has decided for environmental reasons to ban use of all mercury fillings in the country effective June 1, 2009. The ban includes dental amalgam. The Swedish government statement says that alternative techniques will have to be used in dental care as well as chemical analysis and the chloralkali industry. The statement from Sweden does not list what those alternatives are.

Such a ban is not necessary in the United States, said the American Dental Association in a statement issued January 16, 2009. The ADA statement notes that U.S. dentists already capture nearly 80 percent of waste amalgam with standard equipment in their practices, and an increasing number of dentists have added the use of amalgam separators, which can increase the capture rate up to 99 percent.

The ADA notes that a recent economic impact study published in the journal Public Health Reports indicates dental care costs in the U.S. would increase up to $8.2 billion in the first year alone if amalgam use was discontinued. Among other effects, this could cripple dental public health programs that serve as a safety net to millions of low-income people, the report says.

Currently, amalgam accounts for about 30 percent of dental fillings placed in the U.S. More information about amalgam, amalgam separators and restorative dental materials can be found on ADA.org in the 'Professional A-Z Topics' content area.

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