Minamata: what the practising dentist needs to know

The Minamata Convention on mercury is a global treaty, signed by the UK and over one hundred countries on October 2013 with the intention of protecting human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, for example, by limiting the use of mercury from all sources, including LED light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, vaccines, fertilizers, thermometers and, of course, dental amalgam.

The European Union approved the Convention in adopting Regulation (EU) 2017/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council on 17th May 2017. An EU Regulation is enforceable as law in all EU States simultaneously and is binding. Article 10 of the Regulation stipulates the law in relation to dental amalgam and the timelines for the changes laid out in Recitals 21–23 of the Regulation. Article 10 is as follows:

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty, signed by the UK and over one hundred countries in October 2013, with the intention of protecting human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, for example, by limiting the use of mercury from all sources including dental amalgam. The European Union approved the Convention in adopting Regulation (EU) 2017/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council on 17th May 2017. The Regulation states that, from 1st July 2018, dental amalgam shall not be used for dental treatment of deciduous teeth, of children under 15 years and of pregnant or breastfeeding women, except when deemed strictly necessary by the dental practitioner based on the specific medical needs of the patient (Article 10, 2).