African countries have poor resources and technology to manage mercury wastes, and African dentists desire to practice 21st Century mercury free dentistry (minimum intervention Dentistry-MID) not 19th century tooth destructive “drill and fill” dentistry (which is not evidence based).
While 21st century dentistry aims to keep all teeth and oral tissue healthy and functional for life, drill and fill dentistry often results in toothless “grandpa” smile in old age with poor oral and general health outcome.
The European Union has voted to ban the use, export and import of dental amalgam from its territory by January 2025.
Dental amalgam is a primitive 19th century pollutant – disastrous to the environment, harmful to dental workers, and a health risk to any dental patient – in particular children and young women. Therefore, the African continent unites to declare:
As required in the law of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, use of dental amalgam must cease now for children and for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- The import of dental amalgam should be phased out in October 2025.
- The use of dental amalgam should be phased out in January 2026.
Dental amalgam’s mercury poisons fish which children eat, causing brain damage to some of them. It is horrible for them. We must switch to the alternative dental materials – which are non-polluting and tooth friendly.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, since 2023, bans amalgam for children and for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The law must be enforced by our governments and dentists must obey it.
Consumers and parents should insist on mercury-free dentistry. Europe united to ban dental amalgam in their continent. Now Africans should unite to ban dental amalgam.
Mercury is the most vaporous of the heavy metals, and those vapors toxify the dental office. It is too big a risk for young women dental workers. Dental clinics should become mercury-free, now.
Mercury damages children’s brain even before they are born. Mercury also reduces the quantity and quality of men’s sperm.
Animal studies have revealed that mercury may also contribute significantly to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance.
The alternatives to amalgam are now technically superior to amalgam. Amalgam is a tooth unfriendly historical relic from the 19th century outdated dentistry.
Manufacturers are exiting making amalgam – they know they have legal risks. The amalgam
supply is running out.
Our dental schools need to be mercury-free. Alternatives are effective and available. Mercury-free dentistry is 21st century dentistry. We need to train future generations of African Dentists in Mercury Free 21st Century Dentistry. We need to update the knowledge and skills of general dental practitioners.
We need to get our governments to finalise the national policy on phasedown/out of dental
amalgam, ban importation of dental amalgam, stop insurance payments for dental amalgam, as well as remove import duty and taxes on mercury-free filling materials (glass ionomer, composites, compomers, etc).
Prof. Godwin Toyin Arotiba is Chairman and Founder, Dentists Committee for a Mercury Free Africa
