Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay Collaborate to Combat Dental Mercury

Dental mercury, a key component of dental amalgam, has been a topic of concern for many years due to its potential impact on human health and the environment. Dental amalgam, a mixture of mercury and silver-based alloys, is widely used for filling cavities caused by tooth decay. While dental amalgam use has been a mainstay of restorative dental care for over a century, there are growing concerns about the risks posed by mercury exposure, particularly during the removal and disposal of dental amalgam fillings.  

As per the World Health Organization, Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay have joined forces in a $13-million initiative to reduce the environmental and health impacts of the dental industry. The project aims to treat tooth decay by reducing dental amalgam, a combination of mercury and silver-based alloys used by dentists to fill cavities. Waste amalgam from the dentistry business is a global issue, with an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 metric tons of mercury retained in people’s mouths as dental amalgam.  

Dental amalgam contains mercury, which is hazardous to human and environmental health if not properly disposed of. Mercury exposure may pose health risks to oral health professionals if working conditions are not properly designed, as 30-40% of the mercury in amalgam enters solid waste pathways, accumulating in water, soil, and the atmosphere without degrading. 

One of the eleven procedures stated in the Minamata Convention on Mercury to limit the use of dental amalgam is to discourage its use by patients under the age of 15 and pregnant or nursing mothers. The correct disposal of dental amalgam waste, on the other hand, is a substantial impediment. Many dental clinics still need the technology to adequately segregate mercury and avoid leaks, resulting in substandard amalgam removal and inadvertent mercury emissions.  

Accelerating the implementation of dental amalgam provisions and strengthening country capacities in the environmentally sound management of associated wastes under the Minamata Convention is a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) project that will reduce the use of dental amalgam in Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay, improve mercury-containing waste management, and reduce mercury-related health risks.

The use of mercury in dental amalgam is a significant public health risk, according to Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, director of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division. Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, WHO Director for Noncommunicable Diseases, stated that the research is timely due to the rise of low-cost, high-quality alternatives to mercury and less invasive procedures.  

Over three years, stakeholders from Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay will collaborate to implement international best practices in policymaking, improve technical capacity on mercury disposal and waste management methods, convene environmental and health professionals, and create an enabling environment for the introduction of mercury-free alternatives.

Countries are permitted to act faster than required by the Minamata Convention to phase out the use of mercury amalgam. Primary cavity prevention is the most effective strategy to reduce dental amalgam use, and this project will allow us to spread the word about it.