FAQ

Room: D7

Date: 7.9.2026

Timings: 16:30 - 18:00

Abstract:

The Minamata Convention on Mercury advances global efforts to reduce mercury emissions. FDI and the International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR) fully support its provisions on phasing down dental amalgam and promoting best environmental practices in dental settings. Dental amalgam, long valued for durability and affordability, is increasingly replaced by alternative restorative materials. WHO has also released new guidance endorsing mercury-free, safe, minimally invasive, and environmentally sustainable options for managing dental caries. Yet clinicians emphasize that amalgam remains important for maintaining equitable access to oral healthcare worldwide. Although sales data and treatment records indicate progress in phase-down implementation, mercury waste management remains insufficiently addressed in many countries. This session will present global trends from FDI’s Vision 2030 mid-term review and industry evidence, outline core WHO guideline recommendations, and share lessons from European countries transitioning from phase down to phase out in the coming years for sustained progress.

Learning Objectives of The Session:

1. Discuss the Vision 2030 mid-term survey results on dental amalgam use.

2. Discuss the current global situation on dental amalgam phase down and out.

3. Understand the key recommendations in the WHO guideline on environmentally friendly and less invasive oral health care for preventing and managing dental caries

4. Discuss the implementation realities following dental amalgam phase out in European countries.

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Moderator: Dr Makyba Ayinde

Biography: Makyba Charles-Ayinde is the Director of Science Policy at the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR). In this role, she monitors advances and emerging trends in dental, oral, and craniofacial science and helps shape a research and policy agenda responsive to timely issues that influence oral health care delivery worldwide. On behalf of IADR, she leads and coordinates science-policy engagement related to the phase-down of dental amalgam under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, including evidence- informed messaging on oral health, environmental stewardship, and the practical implications for patients and health systems. She holds a PhD in Public Health and certifications in One Health and Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging .

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Speaker 1: Prof. Manu Mathur

Title: From Commitment to Practice: Progress on Dental Amalgam Phase-Down under Vision 2030 and Meaning of Exemptions

Abstract: This intervention presents key insights from the FDI Vision 2030 Mid-Term Survey, highlighting global patterns in policy adoption, clinical practice change, and system readiness for dental amalgam phase-down and phase-out. Survey findings reveal uneven progress, shaped by workforce capacity, financing models, material availability, and regulatory alignment. The presentation also demystifies the concept of exemptions under the Minamata Convention decision, explaining their intent as transitional safeguards rather than permanent opt-outs. By situating exemptions within a health-systems and equity lens, the session will demonstrate how countries can use them responsibly to accelerate sustainable, safe, and patient-centred transitions away from dental amalgam.

Learning Objectives

1. To synthesise key findings from the FDI World Dental Federation Vision 2030 Mid-Term Survey on national progress, policy intent, and readiness for dental amalgam phase-down and phase-out.

2. To clarify the scope, rationale, and practical implications of exemptions under the Minamata Convention on Mercury decision on dental amalgam.

3. To identify strategic levers for countries to translate exemptions into time-bound transition pathways

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Speaker 2: Dr Christopher Fox

Title: From Phasing Down to Phasing Out

Abstract: Over 151 countries have ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury and agreed to provisions to protect the environment from mercury emission to land, air and water, including phasing down the use of dental amalgam. The COP-6 (6th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury) set a phaseout date of 2034, after which the manufacture, import, or export of dental amalgam will not be allowed, but allows an exception for cases when its use is considered necessary by the dental practitioner based on the needs of the patient. IADR supports the treaty and promotes research into alternative restorative materials. IADR calls on countries to invest in research and development to accelerate the clinical use of new restorative dental materials. IADR especially supports the provision for countries to increase evidence-based oral disease prevention efforts to reduce the need for any kind of restorative material in the first place, which is also consistent with the WHO’s GOHAP. While the use of dental amalgam may largely cease by 2034, the need for proper waste management will continue for at least a generation as amalgams are replaced.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the decisions adopted at the Minamata Convention on Mercury COP-6, including the exemptions allowing dental amalgam use after 2034.

2. Examine the latest data on the availability of dental amalgam, implications for practice, and recommended research priorities.

3. Understand the best environmental management practices for dental amalgam placement and removal.

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