Updated: Global Dental Amalgam Tracker

According to the Minamata Conventions Full National Reports 2021 and 2025, the Minamata Initial Assessments, or other official documents, the global transition to a mercury-free dentistry is steadily progressing.

In total, 71 countries have already phased out dental amalgam or report that it is no longer used:

48 countries ban the use of dental amalgam by law:
- 17 countries without exceptions
- 31 countries with only limited exceptions
A further 10 countries have withdrawn dental amalgam from public programs, effectively phasing it out, or have stopped its import and manufacture.
A further 13 countries declare that dental amalgam is no longer used.

In addition, 14 countries restrict the use of dental amalgam for vulnerable populations:

13 countries ban the use of dental amalgam for children under 15 years and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
1 country restricts its use for children under the age of 10 and pregnant women.

!Click on the countries to access the National Profiles, including links to regulations and official reports!

🇸🇪Sweden, 🇳🇴Norway, 🇲🇩Moldova, 🇲🇳Mongolia, the 🇵🇭Philippines, 🇮🇩Indonesia, 🇵🇦Panama, 🇧🇴Bolivia, 🇺🇾Uruguay, 🇬🇦Gabon, 🇹🇿Tanzania, 🇺🇬Uganda , and 5 Arab states of the Persian Gulf (🇰🇼Kuwait, 🇧🇭Bahrain, 🇴🇲Oman, 🇶🇦Qatar, 🇦🇪United Arab Emirates), ban dental amalgam by law without exceptions.

A general ban on the use without exceptions will also enter into force in 🇸🇰Slovakia by 2031.

🇨🇭Switzerland, 🇱🇮Liechtenstein, 🇮🇸Iceland, the 27 member states of the 🇪🇺European Union and 🇵🇪Peru have banned dental amalgam with only limited exceptions.

🇯🇵Japan, 🇦🇷Argentina, 🇲🇽Mexico, 🇵🇾Paraguay, 🇸🇻El Salvador, 🇭🇳Honduras, 🇬🇾Guyana, 🇱🇨Saint Lucia and 🇲🇿Mozambique have withdrawn dental amalgam from public programs, effectively phasing it out.

The EU has also banned the export of dental amalgam since 1 January 2025 and, since 1 July 2026, its import and manufacture, except for specific medical needs. The European Commission is to examine by 31 December 2029 whether these exemptions can be withdrawn. This phase-out is having an impact beyond the EU: Candidate countries are progressively aligning their legislation with the EU acquis. 🇲🇪Montenegro is already at an advanced stage of this process and aims to join the EU in 2028.

🇧🇹Bhutan stopped the import of dental amalgam in July 2015 while remaining stocks were exhausted by 2017. 🇨🇴Colombia banned the manufacturing of dental amalgam by 15 July 2023, ending domestic production, which had become the country’s last remaining industrial use of mercury.

🇷🇺Russia, 🇦🇲Armenia, 🇦🇿Azerbaijan, 🇬🇪Georgia, 🇰🇿Kazakhstan, 🇪🇨Ecuador, 🇰🇳Saint Kitts and Nevis, 🇰🇮Kiribati, 🇨🇰Cook Islands, 🇲🇭Marshall Islands, 🇹🇻Tuvalu, the 🇲🇻Maldives, and 🇿🇲Zambia declared that dental amalgam is no longer used.

The use of dental amalgam for dental treatments of deciduous teeth, of children under 15 years and of pregnant and breastfeeding women is banned in the 🇬🇧UK, 🇦🇱Albania, 🇮🇱Israel, 🇨🇷Costa Rica, 🇧🇩Bangladesh, 🇵🇰Pakistan, 🇳🇵Nepal, 🇻🇳Vietnam, 🇨🇳China, 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia, 🇹🇳Tunisia, 🇳🇬Nigeria and 🇿🇦South Africa.

🇲🇺Mauritius banned the use of dental amalgam for children under 10 years and pregnant women.

Here are the phase out requirements under the Minamata Convention on Mercury:

By 28 September 2023 all Parties to the Minamata Convention should have taken measures to protect children from the use of dental amalgam. Parties shall:

"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, except when considered necessary by the dental practitioner based on the needs of the patient."

By 23 March 2027, parties that have not yet phased out dental amalgam shall:

"Take measures, as appropriate, to not allow, or significantly phase down, dental amalgam unless its use is considered necessary by the dental practitioner based on the needs of the patient."

By 31 December 2027, parties that have not yet phased out dental amalgam shall submit progress reports or phase out plans. Parties shall:

"Submit to the secretariat a national action plan or a report based on available information with respect to progress they have made or are making to phase down or phase out dental amalgam every four years as part of national reporting." (COP6 decided that the first national plan should be submitted not later than by 31 December 2027)

By 31 December 2034, the manufacturing, import and export of dental amalgam shall be prohibited.

"The manufacture, import or export of the Dental Amalgam shall not be allowed (phased-out)by 31 December 2034, except for when its use is considered necessary by the dental practitioner based on the needs of the patient"

The World Alliance for Mercury-free Dentistry is calling on parties to immediately take action, to protect the most vulnerable population and to set up a national plan to generally phase out dental amalgam: