Indian Health Service to phase out mercury dental fillings by 2027
The Indian Health Service will phase out the use of dental fillings containing mercury and fully implement mercury-free alternatives by 2027, according to the Associated Press. The agency has used dental amalgams, which contain elemental mercury, for decades to treat decayed and damaged teeth. According to agency documents, the percentage of its roughly 2.8 million patient user population receiving amalgam fillings declined from 12% in 2005 to 2% in 2023, the latest year of available data.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said growing environmental and health concerns about mercury exposure and global efforts to reduce hazardous materials prompted the change, according to the Associated Press. “This is a commonsense step that protects patients and prevents harm before it starts,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, amalgam fillings can release small amounts of mercury vapor, though it says available evidence does not link them to long-term negative health outcomes.
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