Promoting the ‘Phase Down’ Approach of Dental Amalgam in Developing Countries

Dental amalgam use represents one-fourth of total global mercury consumption in products or approximately 8% of global mercury consumption. In 2007, an estimated 250-350 metric tons of mercury were used globally in this sector. In the past decades, the awareness and recognition of the environmental implications of mercury have increased and development and use of alternative materials for dental restoration has become increasingly important.