At the beginning of 2025, dental offices will be banned from using fillings containing mercury. We are talking about the once popular gray amalgam fillings. This is a consequence of the regulation adopted this year by the European Union. Under it, member states are also to prohibit the production, import and export of certain lamps containing mercury in the coming years.
From January 1, most EU countries will ban the use and export of fillings containing mercury. Dental offices will no longer be able to use amalgam fillings containing this substance. Temporary derogations are intended to be applied to countries that need more time to adapt their healthcare systems to the new regulations.
The speech includes: about Czech Republic and Slovakiawhere mercury fillings are fully reimbursed by the public health system. There, the ban is to come into force on June 30, 2026. The Polish National Health Fund has not reimbursed amalgam fillings for two years. Patients may remember these as fillings with a characteristic gray-black color. At one time they were an extremely popular solution. In recent years, however, they have been gradually replaced by more aesthetic and safer “white” fillings, i.e. composite or porcelain fillings.
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EU regulations regulate the use of mercury in seals and lamps
It was decided to withdraw mercury due to its harmful impact on the environment and human health. The new regulations are consistent with the EU's “zero pollution” goal. In addition to the issue of amalgam fillings, the regulation also regulates the use of lamps containing mercury. EU countries are to stop producing, importing and exporting certain categories of them by 2027 at the latest. The existing devices will be replaced with alternative ones, e.g. LEDs, which are less toxic and more energy-efficient.
Dental amalgam and mercury lamps currently account for the largest intentional use of mercury in the EU. According to experts, replacing them with alternative solutions is easy and profitable. Until the end of next year European Commission is also expected to publish guidelines on technologies for reducing mercury emissions from crematoria.
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