2024-04-14 01:20:08
In the European Union, it will not be possible to use dental amalgam, i.e. the mercury alloy from which fillings are made, from next year. The Czech Republic negotiated an exception, domestic dentists can use amalgam until June 2026.
The member countries agreed on the amalgam ban with the European Parliament, which confirmed the legislation in a vote on Wednesday. The substance contains toxic mercury.
Photo: EU
“From January 1, 2025, dental amalgam may not be used in dental treatments in the Union, except in cases where the dentist considers it absolutely necessary due to the specific health needs of the patient concerned,” the newly approved legislation reads literally. Only 12 MEPs were against, 575 voted for, another 38 abstained.
Alternatives to amalgam exist. In some countries – such as the Czech Republic – they are not covered by public insurance. Patients would thus have to pay for new fillings on a different basis, which could discourage them from visiting the dentist.
Therefore, at the instigation of Czech politicians, another exception was included in the new legislation, thanks to which Czech dentists will be able to use amalgam until June 2026.
“The exception for some EU countries to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of amalgam phasing out will ensure that EU citizens with low incomes can continue to afford adequate dental treatment,” said German politician and legislative rapporteur Marlene Mortler (EPP) after the European Parliament’s vote.
There is no cheap alternative yet
After the exemption expires, Czech dentists will have to switch to alternatives. They have a choice of more expensive white fillings, which insurance companies cover only for front teeth, in other cases the patient pays for them himself. A cheap alternative to amalgam covered by the insurance company is not yet available.
“For a group of people who cannot afford expensive treatment, some kind of ‘social’ supplement is being sought, but it is complicated,” a dentist from Havlíčkov Brod, who did not wish to be named, told the editors.
“It is obvious that there should be an alternative, but in the Czech Republic it is not yet completely clear what material it will be,” she added.
Not only the use of amalgam in medicine, but also its export abroad, production and import into the EU will be prohibited.
“Alternatives have been proven to be effective, available and affordable, so hazardous waste should not be put into people’s mouths unnecessarily,” Florian Schulze, executive director of the European Network for Environmental Medicine, said of the ban.
Seals are not harmful to health, but mercury is dangerous
The ban on amalgam is not supported by the Czech Dental Chamber either, according to which no direct negative effects of amalgam fillings on human health have been confirmed.
But the problem with amalgam lies elsewhere. It is a mercury alloy that the EU is gradually trying to get rid of in all sectors. It thus follows on from the global Minamata Convention on mercury, which is a document under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), to which the Czech Republic and the EU as a whole are also signatories. It is named after Japan’s Minamata Bay, where in 1956 thousands of people were poisoned by mercury-contaminated industrial wastewater.
Although the convention does not oblige the signatories to ban amalgams, the EU has decided to take such a step beyond the scope of its international obligations. He wants to get rid of mercury completely, and dentistry is one of the last industries where it is used.
In the EU, approximately 40 tons of mercury are used annually for the production of amalgam, and when handling this substance there is a risk of contamination of the surrounding water, air or soil. Mercury is released into the environment.
In 2018, the European Environment Agency published a study showing that 40% of surface water in the EU is contaminated with mercury. It mainly threatens birds, marine mammals, but also fish and crustaceans, which then end up in the human diet.
Mercury has a negative effect mainly on the brain and nervous system, kidneys and, when inhaled, also on the lungs. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it can affect the development of the fetus in the womb. High levels of mercury exposure can result in symptoms such as vision and hearing problems, impaired motor skills, or memory and attention deficits.