Toxics Link, a leading environmental NGO, has appealed to the Indian government to issue a blanket ban on the use of mercury in the healthcare sector – including dentistry.

As quoted in the press, Toxics Link Associate Director Satish Sinha said, “There is an urgent need to rollout a robust public awareness campaign to educate consumers and healthcare workers, including addressing disposal of mercury waste. Toxics Link urges the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to institute a blanket ban on the use of mercury in the health sector and to facilitate the movement towards safer alternatives.” 

Many clinics and hospitals in Delhi already practice mercury-free dentistry. But other dentists fail to tell their patients about the mercury in their fillings and the availability of mercury-free fillings.