Toward mercury-free dentistry

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry International

INC 7 group photo cropped

Dental amalgam is a tooth filling material that is approximately 50% mercury, a highly polluting neurotoxin.  Today, countries around the world are phasing out the use of amalgam … and phasing up the use of mercury-free alternatives.

The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry is pleased to work with governments and organizations to phase down amalgam use in every region. Learn about progress toward mercury-free dentistry in the posts below.  If you need assistance in your region, please contact us.

Ram Charitra Sah wins “First in Asia” Award

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Asia

The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry proudly announces its “First in Asia” Award to Ram Charitra Sah of Kathmandu, head of the very vibrant and effective NGO Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED) Nepal.  The award was presented by Siddika Sultana, Vice-President of World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry and Executive Director ESDO Bangladesh.

Nepal is the first country in all of Asia to achieve mercury-free dentistry!  The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, based in Washington with projects in 50 countries, provides this unique award that recognizes both the NGO leader who made it happen and the nation who came first.

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Experts concerned that children of color and low-income children still receive unsafe mercury fillings

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Americas

Experts continue to express concern that many children of color and low-income children are still receiving mercury fillings despite the risks.  In their Health Affairs article “Children of Color and Low-Income Kids Still Receive Unsafe Mercury-Based Dental Fillings”, Dr. Rueben C. Warren, DDS, MPH, DrPH, MDiv of Tuskegee University and Dr. Mark Mitchell,MD, MPH, FACPM of George Mason University observe that…

“The data on the extent of amalgam use in the US are sparse and out of date, but in our experience as dental and medical professionals, we’ve seen that Black, Latino, Native American, and low-income kids are much more likely to get mercury-based amalgam fillings than their more affluent non-Hispanic White counterparts.”

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Arab Center for Environmental Health launches

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Africa, Asia
Ziyad Alalawneh

With the goal of serving all Arab nations across West Asia and North Africa, the Arab Center for Environmental Health has launched today from its headquarters in Amman.  The announcement was jointly made at a ceremony on 7 July by the Secretary General of the Jordan Ministry of Environment, Dr. Mohammed Khashashneh, and by the Center’s founding director, the experienced NGO leader Ziyad Alalawneh, leader of the NGO Land and Human to Advocate Progress. 

Dedicating the Arab Center for Environmental Health, Secretary General Khashashneh, a world-renowned leader in writing and implementing environmental treaties, said, “We are honored that the Center is headquartered here in Amman, and we look forward to bringing together Jordan and other Arab governments, international bodies, civil society, and universities to build a toxic-free society for future generations.”

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New Minamata Convention amendment goes into effect today

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry International

The Children’s Amendment to the amalgam reduction requirement of the Minamata Convention enters into force today, 24 June 2022!
 
At the 4th Conference of the Parties in Indonesia last March, our powerhouse coalition, the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, succeeded in gaining protection from dental amalgam for the most vulnerable consumers.  We won the Children’s Amendment, which requires that Parties “Exclude or not allow, by taking measures as appropriate, or recommend against the use of dental amalgam for the dental treatment of deciduous teeth, of patients under 15 years and of pregnant and breastfeeding women…”

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Minamata Convention amended to protect children from amalgam

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry International

Reflecting a remarkable shift in global opinion, the nations of the world have amended the Minamata Convention on Mercury to call for ending amalgam use in children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.  On 25 March 2022, the Parties to the Minamata Convention (that is, the national governments) decided unanimously to amend this international treaty to…

“….Exclude or not allow, by taking measures as appropriate, or recommend against the use of dental amalgam for the dental treatment of deciduous teeth [baby teeth], of patients under 15 years and of pregnant and breastfeeding women….“

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