European Union Poised to Ban Toxic Dental Amalgam

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• The European Commission has proposed a ban on dental amalgam as of January 1, 2025. This includes not only the use but also the manufacture and export of dental amalgam. The European Parliament and Council must ratify the proposal for it to become law

• Once amalgam is banned in the EU, it’ll be difficult for the U.S. and Canada to hold on to the barbaric and archaic practice of loading neurotoxic mercury into people’s mouths

• Countries that have already phased out or banned dental mercury include the Philippines, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Moldova

• Countries that have banned the use of amalgam in children, pregnant women and breastfeeding women include Tanzania and Vietnam. Mauritius has banned it for children. Bangladesh has ended its use in the Armed Forces, Indonesia has stopped using it in government programs, and the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Railway, the world’s largest employer, have also ended its use

• Please support the mission of Consumers for Dental Choice to end the use of dental mercury worldwide.

Here's some good news, for a change: The European Commission — the administrative arm of the European Union — recently proposed a ban on dental amalgam as of January 1, 2025. This includes not only the use but also the manufacture and export of dental amalgam.

In the video above, I interview Charlie Brown, founder, and executive director of Consumers for Dental Choice, about this breakthrough. As explained by Brown, the battleground now shifts to other two branches of the European Union: The Parliament and the Council. These two branches must ratify the proposal for it to become law.

In 2011, the EU leadership was dead set against acting to stop amalgam. Now, after a relentless 12-year campaign, Consumers for Dental Choice has finally made a big dent, and Brown is convinced the European campaign will succeed in turning the ban proposal into law. That said, either branch can block it, which is why we must continue supporting the European campaign.

Keep the Momentum Going

Once amalgam is banned in the EU, it'll be difficult for the U.S. and Canada to hold on to the barbaric and archaic practice of loading neurotoxic mercury into people's mouths.

For all these years, donors like you have supported this effort and kept Consumers for Dental Choice alive. No other group in the world has been fighting for mercury-free dentistry for as long and as hard as Consumers for Dental Choice.

Many Smaller Countries Have Already Eliminated Amalgam

Brown comments on the success of finally getting Europe to reconsider and act against this unnecessary toxin. While many smaller countries are way ahead of us and have already ended the use of mercury dental fillings, an EU ban will protect the health of some 447 million individuals.

Largest Employer in the World Has Ended Amalgam

The world's largest employer, the Indian Railway, has also ended amalgam, as has India's Armed Forces.

US Status Update

As for the U.S., Consumers for Dental Choice has three primary areas of focus. The first one is to identify where amalgam is still being used. There's good news here as well, because we are seeing a significant shift within the private sector. Many private dentists recognize that there are horrible downsides to amalgam and are responding to consumer demand for safer alternatives.

Unfortunately, the bureaucracies have not changed. Millions of Americans that rely on institutional dentistry — the armed forces, inmates, those who live on Indian reservations, veterans — they're still getting mercury fillings. There's no consumer choice there. So, the bureaucracies need to change.

Two Largest Amalgam Producers Have Quit Making It

Brown has also been working on getting amalgam producers to realize the harm it's doing. As a result, the largest dental products maker in the world, DentSupply, stopped making and selling amalgam in 2020.

Next, Consumers for Dental Choice started encouraging the second biggest amalgam producer, Kerr, a subsidiary of Envista Holdings Corporation, to get out of the amalgam business. Investors listened, and in the summer of 2021, one of their lawyers told Brown they'd decided to get out. The formal announcement was issued in March 2022, which read, in part:1

There are three primary holdouts left. Henry Schein, based in Long Island, New York, the largest distributor, continues to sell amalgam. Ivoclar Vivadent, based in Europe, does not sell it in Europe but sells it in the United States. Brown is pushing Ivoclar Vivadent to stop selling it altogether. Lastly, there's Southern Dental Industries, in Australia.

Nigerian and Brazilian Campaigns

Consumers for Dental Choice also has two model states in Nigeria, Edo and Enugu, where amalgam is being phased out. There's also a national campaign, which the Nigerian Dental Association has signed onto, to phase it out. Brown comments on the advancements made in Africa:

A Quarter Century-Long Fight

Brown and I partnered in 2011, but he's been fighting for mercury-free dentistry far longer than that:

The vast reach of Consumers for Dental Choice is proof positive that not a penny is laid to waste. Brown truly deserves some kind of award for the most efficient use of funds to establish an international presence.

So, I would strongly encourage each one of you, if you haven't already, to support this mission, because unlike other organizations who are committed to a cause, this one is getting very close to the end. Once amalgam has been eradicated worldwide, Consumers for Dental Choice can close shop, knowing they've safeguarded the health of billions of people, and future generations, and so can you.

Consumer Resources

If your current dentist is still using mercury in his or her practice — even if they also offer mercury-free options — seek out a dentist that offers only mercury-free fillings for all patients. And be sure to inform your dentist about the reason you're transferring.

If you have mercury fillings, be sure to consult with a biological dentist who is trained in the safe removal of amalgam. Toxic fumes are released during the removal, so it's crucial to have it done safely to prevent acute toxicity. As noted by Brown:

Holistic dental organizations groups that Brown has worked with over the years, all of which provide lists of biological dentists with the proper skills to remove mercury amalgam, include the following. Consumers for Dental Choice also provides resources for holistic and biological dentistry on its website.

• The International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM)

• The International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology (IAOMT)