WHO Calls for Phasing Down of Dental Amalgam

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The World Health Organisation has called for a ‘phasing down’ in the use of dental amalgam, rather than a complete phase out.

In a report entitled ‘Future Use of Materials for Dental Restorations’, the authors call for a “multi-pronged” strategy and suggest that amalgam be gradually phased down, rather than phased out.

The report also suggests that alternative materials should be improved for long-term use and stated that the move away from amalgam would be reliant on higher quality materials being available.

Stuart Johnston, chair of the British Dental Association’s representative body and member of the FDI World Dental Federation Dental Amalgam Task Team, said that the report provided a balanced overview of the use of restorative materials and acted as a useful source of information for debate in this area.

Dr Johnston added that most dentists are happy to use amalgam fillings, as toxicologists have found no harmful effects and currently, the alternative materials are not fully proven and they been found to have their own disadvantages.

 

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