Southern Dental Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of dental amalgam, announced that it will cease production by 2028 at the latest, as the release of mercury from dental amalgam is a global concern. SDI is the last publicly traded manufacturer fully transitioning to mercury-free alternatives in view of the United Nations ambition to end the trade by 2030.
Faced with mounting opposition to its amalgam policy from investors and international NGOs, Samantha Cheetham, CEO of SDI, has thrown in the towel on this mercury product, promising to stop producing it by 2028 or earlier.
CEO Cheetham said at the investor conference on 27 August 2024, that SDI is certainly not moving the production to Montrose, their new site to which they move all their manufacturing starting January 2027.
The World Alliance for Mercury-free Dentistry had previously appealed to SDI for a statement reminding the Cheetham family that SDI had received a $3 million grant from the Commonwealth Government in 2019 for the ‘Dentistry without mercury – Glass fibre reinforced flowable dental composite restorative materials’ project and had successfully developed the Riva and Stela product lines as amalgam replacement products.
In 2023, SDI became co-financing partner (with $ 4,5 million in-kind contribution) of the GEF7 Project to phase down dental amalgam, in which its role is to contribute knowledge and experience of the dental industry shifting from manufacturing dental amalgam to alternative mercury-free dental restorative materials.
SDI has further been praised for its focus on stressing environmental product development and environmentally sound lifecycle management and developed an environmental, social and corporate governance strategy (ESG Strategy) outlining areas of focus, goals and alignments to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The message was therefore clear: “In order to promote a consistent corporate strategy, there is no choice: it’s time to end amalgam production”
According to research findings, around 60% of amalgam from capsules ends up directly in the waste during processing. Especially in countries where there is no adequate hazardous waste management, it pollutes the soil, water and air during waste incineration or other disposal practices. But also the mercury in fillings pollutes the environment via crematoria, burials or excretions.
And, since mercury is constantly released from the fillings, dental amalgam may pose a significant health risk. The US major players and publicly traded manufacturers Dentsply Sirona and Kerr left the business when the US Food and Drug Administration issued the following safety warning in 2020:
Mercury-containing fillings should no longer be used for children, pregnant and nursing women, women who wish to have children, patients with neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, patients with impaired kidney function and persons with allergies to mercury or other components of amalgam.
Florian Schulze, administrative Vice-President of the World Alliance for Mercury-free Dentistry and Managing Director of the European Network for Environmental Medicine welcomes SDI’s decision: “This is a strong signal for the ambitions of the Minamata Convention to adopt a phase out of dental amalgam by 2030 at the next COP in 2025.”
“When manufacturers stop making a product to protect the public, it should no longer be used by public health services for treatments. Already more than 50 countries phase out dental amalgam,” Schulze adds.
Other key amalgam competitors such as Ardent or Ivoclar have stopped the distribution in 2022 or withdrawn from the international market to focus exclusively on the US. Remaining European companies such as Cavex or Nordiska should stop the sales by January 2025, when the EU export ban enters into force.
Further Information:
SDI Limited – FY24 Results Call – 11:00am AEST, Tuesday 27 August 2024
World Alliance for Mercury-free Dentistry – Letter to SDI on 18 August 2024
FDA’s safety warning for the use of Dental Amalgam in 2020
European Regulation to phase out dental amalgam by January 2025
Overview: Manufacturers leave the business of Dental Amalgam in Europe
