EU Parliament set to ban dental amalgams over toxicity fears
Dental leaders have warned the move would be disastrous for the UK.
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Dentists could find it difficult to carry out fillings if the proposed EU mercury ban is approved tomorrow.
The European Parliament is set to ban dental amalgam, used in common silver fillings, amid fears about its toxicity.
Dental leaders have warned the move would be disastrous for the UK, which relies on “safe and effective” treatment for millions of fillings each year.
They say a ban on use, manufacturing and export from January 2025 would disrupt supplies and increase costs between the NHS and private dentists.
Eddie Crouch, chairman, said: “Since the birth of NHS dentistry, amalgam has been the go-to material in the fight against cavities.
The European Parliament is set to ban dental amalgam, used in common silver fillings, over fears of its toxicity.
Only 43 per cent of those aged 18 and over were seen by a dentist in the 24 months to June 2023, compared to more than half in the same period before the pandemic struck.
‘Nothing competes in durability, ease of installation or cost-effectiveness.
“If this vote passes and the government fails to take action, the impact will be felt in practices across the UK and among the millions of people already struggling to access healthcare.”
The debate has raged for decades, as more than half of amalgam fillings are composed of mercury, which is more poisonous than lead.
It is mixed with silver, copper and tin, forming a very durable combination to retain mercury.
But it is now accepted that mercury vapor escapes and small amounts pass into the bloodstream and organs, especially when it is introduced or removed.
Some activists suggest that fillings are highly toxic and link their use to certain neurological or autoimmune disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
But health officials in the United Kingdom maintain that there is no evidence that exposure to mercury from amalgam fillings has harmful health effects.
In 2018, an EU directive banned silver fillings in baby teeth and in children under 15, unless dentists deemed it necessary. They are also not administered to pregnant or lactating women.
Its latest move is environmentally driven, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the 2020 EU Chemicals Sustainability Strategy and the 2021 EU Zero Pollutant Action Plan.
Any mercury released into the environment can re-enter the food chain and residues have been found in soil, fish and shellfish.
High exposure to mercury can damage the brain, lungs, kidneys and human immune system.
If approved, EU countries (and Northern Ireland under post-Brexit agreements) will join countries such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany in stopping its use.
While there are long-standing plans to phase out its use in the UK, experts fear an abrupt halt would represent a multi-million pound hit to already struggling services, destabilizing NHS dentistry.
With patients already facing long waits for NHS appointments, the push towards white fillings would make the situation worse as they would take longer to apply and often require repeat placement.
It comes just weeks after a Nuffield Trust report warned that NHS dentistry is “gone forever” and must be rationed for those most in need.
Describing it as the most dangerous time in its 75-year history, he said radical reform was needed including means-testing patients and limiting provisions to emergency treatments and checks.