Countries agree to stop using mercury in tooth fillings by 2034

Countries on Nov 7 agreed to phase out the use of mercury-based dental amalgams in tooth fillings by 2034, in a move that will change dentistry around the world.

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At a conference in Geneva, signatories to a treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from mercury pollution called time on mercury amalgams.

Nations agreed “to end the use of dental amalgam by 2034, marking a historic milestone in reducing mercury pollution”, the conference said in its closing statement.

The World Health Organisation considers mercury one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern, calling it “toxic to human health”.

Some countries have already banned its use in dental amalgam, a common filling material used for more than 175 years.