[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Dentistry](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/) › [Restorative dentistry and materials](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/areas/restorative/) › Dental amalgam: mercury, safety and the phase-down # Dental amalgam: mercury, safety and the phase-down - Dental material Amalgam is a strong, cheap silver filling made with mercury. It is being phased down worldwide, and the EU has banned it with few exceptions since 2025. Updated Nov 12, 2026 ## Key points - Mercury plus silver–tin–copper alloy; retained by shape, not bonding. - Phase-down under the Minamata Convention; EU ban since 2025. - Do not remove sound amalgam fillings. ## What it is Dental amalgam is made by mixing liquid mercury with an alloy powder of silver, tin and copper; about half of the set filling is mercury, bound in the alloy. It has been used for over 150 years in back teeth because it is durable, tolerant of moisture and cheap. Its downsides are its colour, the need to cut retentive shapes, and mercury: small amounts of vapour are released, mostly when it is placed, polished or removed, and its waste pollutes the environment. The Minamata Convention on Mercury calls for its use to be phased down. ## Composition and properties - High-copper alloys corrode less and last longer than the old low-copper ones. - It does not bond to the tooth: it is held by undercuts and seals slowly as corrosion products fill the margin. - It is tolerant of a wet field, which is why it lasted in large cavities and high-caries mouths. - Mercury vapour is released mostly during placement, polishing and removal, which also exposes the dental team. - Colombia ratified the Minamata Convention in 2019; the EU banned amalgam from 1 January 2025 except when strictly needed for a patient's medical needs. ## Uses, limits and safety - Stricter rule applied (EU over US): avoid amalgam altogether where alternatives exist, and especially in children, pregnancy and breastfeeding; the US FDA also advises alternatives for these and other higher-risk groups. - Removing intact, sound amalgam fillings is not advised: drilling them out releases more mercury than leaving them. - A grey-blue spot in the gum next to an amalgam is usually an amalgam tattoo; a white lichen-like patch touching an amalgam can be a contact reaction. ## Next step / Initial management - Patient worried about existing amalgam: explain that sound fillings are not removed for health reasons; refer to the dentist only if a filling is broken, leaking or carious. - Suspected mercury allergy or a lichenoid patch against an amalgam: refer to the dentist, and to dermatology for patch testing. - Amalgam waste: amalgam separators, sealed containers and licensed collection, never the drain or ordinary trash. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## When is most mercury vapour released from amalgam? During placement, polishing and removal, not while an intact filling sits in the mouth. ## Which groups should not receive amalgam when an alternative exists? Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women above all; the EU now bans it for everyone except where strictly needed, and the FDA lists further higher-risk groups. ## Should intact amalgam fillings be replaced to protect health? No: removing sound amalgam exposes the patient and team to more mercury and sacrifices tooth. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/dentistry/dental-amalgam-mercury-safety-and-the-phase-down/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Cavity classes and preparation principles](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/cavity-classes-and-preparation-principles/) - [Resin composite and light curing](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/resin-composite-and-light-curing/) - [Why fillings fail: secondary caries, fracture and leakage](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/why-fillings-fail-secondary-caries-fracture-and-leakage/) - [Biocompatibility and allergy to dental materials](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/biocompatibility-and-allergy-to-dental-materials/) ## Related conditions 1 - [Dental caries](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/dental-caries/) [← All of dentistry](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/) Educational content; it does not replace assessment by a dentist or doctor and is not a clinical instruction. For facial or neck swelling with difficulty swallowing or breathing, a knocked-out tooth or bleeding that will not stop, go to an emergency department at once. Sources: [Dental Amalgam Fillings](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/dental-devices/dental-amalgam-fillings) (US Food and Drug Administration, 2024); [Regulation (EU) 2024/1849 amending Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury (dental amalgam)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1849/oj) (European Union, EUR-Lex, 2024); [Minamata Convention on Mercury: Parties and signatories](https://minamataconvention.org/en/parties) (UN Environment Programme, Minamata Convention, 2026); [Future use of materials for dental restoration](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241500647) (World Health Organization, 2011); [Use of Mercury in Dental Silver Amalgam: An Occupational and Environmental Assessment](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4944028/) (BioMed Research International (PMC open access), 2016); [Failure Risk of Composite Resin and Amalgam Restorations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12246595/) (International Dental Journal (PMC open access), 2025). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/dental-amalgam-mercury-safety-and-the-phase-down/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/dental-amalgam-mercury-safety-and-the-phase-down/