Another major manufacturer exits the amalgam business

Dentsply Sirona quietly stopped its amalgam sales, as announced last year.  Now the other major U.S. amalgam manufacturer, Kerr (currently a subsidiary of Envista Holdings Corporation and previously a subsidiary of Danaher), has announced that it has “…ceased manufacturing all Alloy products, including all of our amalgam products that may contain mercury.” Kerr goes on to explain that….
 
“Specifically, we ceased manufacturing these products in the third quarter of 2021 and communicated this decision to our customers in November of 2021. As part of this communication, we cancelled many of our customers outstanding orders for amalgams containing mercury and directed our customers to our other materials that do not contain mercury. We also engaged in a vigorous campaign to assist our customers in swapping their amalgam products containing mercury to materials that do not contain mercury.”
 

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Dorah Swai wins “First in Africa” Award

The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry proudly announces that its “First in Africa” Award goes to Dorah Swai of Dar es Salaam, who works for the renowned Tanzanian NGO AGENDA.   

“Tanzania is the first country in Africa to have mercury-free dentistry,” said Charlie Brown of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry in Washington. “The quite challenging multi-year campaign to set a deadline for use of toxic mercury in this great nation was engineered by Dorah Swai of the NGO ‘AGENDA.’  The World Alliance is deeply appreciative of Dorah.  We give this unique award to recognize her years of arduous service for the people and environment of Tanzania and the entire continent.”

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Leading dental products manufacturer stops selling amalgam 

In the clearest sign yet that amalgam is headed to the dustbins of history, Dentsply Sirona – the world’s largest manufacturer of dental products – has exited the amalgam market.  In its annual report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, this industry behemoth quietly noted: “[W]e have discontinued sales for all amalgam products as of December 2020.”


The coup de grâce for Dentsply appears to have been U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation against amalgam use in high-risk populations.  As Dentsply explained:

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The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry announces landmark successes across Africa

African governments, dentists, and consumers are increasingly turning against the use of dental amalgam, the highly controversial dental fillings material that is 50% mercury.

In 2006, Dr. Myron Wentz authored A Mouth Full of Poison, a book condemning toxic mercury-based dental amalgam and calling for an end to its use.  His subsequent economic successes as founder of USANA Health Sciences have permitted him to transform this idea into action: he has fully funded the African campaign of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry for the last four years.

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Calls to phase out mercury fillings gain momentum at COP 4.1

As the first part of the fourth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP4) is held online Nov. 1-5, the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry welcomes the growing momentum to phase out the use of dental amalgam. The Minamata Convention requires Parties to phase down the use of dental amalgam, a filling material that is 50% mercury. The next step is to prepare for the global phase-out, and there is movement to phase out this toxic and polluting product at the second in-person part of COP4 in Bali on March 21-25, 2022.

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