BDA celebrate Minamata Convention confirmation

The news follows a ten year campaign, which saw BDA representatives led by Stuart Johnston and Susie Sanderson, work through the FDI World Dental Federation and Council of European Dentists to move the debate from an unworkable complete ban towards a gradual reduction in the use of dental amalgam.

World wide environmental concerns over mercury had led the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to draw up The Minamata Convention. Dental amalgam makes a small contribution to environmental mercury pollution but has been used as a safe, durable, stable and cost effective restorative dental material for more than 150 years.

BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said:

“This is a triumph for common sense and BDA lobbying based on a considerable weight of sound research and science. A decade ago it looked like dental professionals around the world were going to be thrown into chaos by an unworkable outright ban of dental amalgam. We were determined to fight for a sensible policy even when the prospect seemed distant, and today that work has paid off.