On 3 December 2025, the Health Committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved the phase-out of mercury-based dental amalgam. The proposal, PL 3098/2021, will now move to the Justice and Citizenship Committee and, if approved, be sent to the Senate. The law would ban amalgam use for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 15, and individuals with certain health conditions, while requiring dental services to implement a plan to fully eliminate mercury-based materials by 2030…
On 3 December 2025, legislation to phase out dental amalgam in Northern Ireland by 2034 entered into force following formal approval by the Westminster Parliament. The law implements the EU Mercury Regulation to phase out dental amalgam with a 10-year derogation granted under specific conditions by the European Commission, as part of the Windsor Framework arrangements that prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland…
The EU Mercury Regulation (2024/1849) has been incorporated into the EEA Agreement, bringing dental amalgam use in Iceland under regulation. The phase-out timelines have been adopted as-is, with exemptions granted only for import and export. The decision still requires confirmation by the Icelandic parliament, which is expected to be a formality. The EEA agreement also applies to Liechtenstein and Norway, where the use of dental amalgam is already banned…
Global Overview of Countries Phasing Out Dental Amalgam: According to the Minamata Conventions Full National Reports 2021, the MIAs, or other official documents, the global transition to a mercury-free dentistry is fully underway…
In den chemiepolitischen Mittagstalks 2025 widmen wir uns der Frage, wie Chemikalien in der Umwelt wirken, wo sie überall nachweisbar sind und welche Konsequenzen das für Mensch und Natur hat. Wir blicken auf verschiedene Umweltmedien und Organismen, beleuchten aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse und diskutieren politische Handlungsmöglichkeiten. Zum vollständigen Programm…
More than 150 countries, under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, have agreed to phase out dental amalgam by 2034 — a decision that will change dentistry around the world. This landmark step will lead to benefits for global health and environmental protection. WHO lists mercury as one of the top 10 chemical elements of major public health concern…
30 October 2025, WHO publishes a guideline on environmentally friendly and less invasive oral health care for preventing and managing dental caries, which serves Parties to the Minamata Convention as Information Document to phase out dental amalgam by 2034. WHO suggests the use of glass ionomer cements and resin-based composites as direct restorative materials for the treatment of dental caries and gives recommendations for the treatment of vulnerable populations and safe handling and application of resin-based composites.
Experiences from European countries demonstrate successful pathways for the transition to mercury-free oral health care. As effective and affordable alternatives are available, the primary challenge remains, to establish financial arrangements with dentists to provide aesthetic fillings in public programs. It should be borne in mind that dental amalgam is far more expensive than most, if not all, alternative materials when the high environmental costs are taken into account…
Six of the seven leading amalgam manufacturers in 2020 have withdrawn from the market—either ceasing production or announcing plans to do so in the near future—while smaller companies have taken over the shrinking market…
