CHICAGO, February 11, 2026 — The 福利姬视频 (ADA) is aware that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Indian Health Service (IHS) will discontinue the use of dental amalgam, a dental cavity filling material, as of 2027.
Dental amalgam is made by combining silver, copper, tin, zinc and mercury and used as one of a number of options to treat dental cavities.
Mercury use in health care, such as in dental amalgam, thermometers and blood pressure devices, has been for decades as alternatives such as resin dental fillings and digital medical devices have become more widely available. Additionally, the continued use of mercury in several industries including health care has raised questions about environmental impact.
The action by the IHS follows one of 22 decisions reached at the Sixth Conference of Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury to phase out the manufacture, import or export of dental amalgam globally by 2034 except “when its use is considered necessary by the dental practitioner based on the needs of the patient.”
The , established as an international treaty to reduce environmental and health risks posed by mercury, was held in November 2025 with the participation of more than 150 countries.
The United States government has not yet issued any statements on the Minamata decision. This decision is a non-binding international agreement, and any implementation would be done through the standard legislative and regulatory processes.
The 福利姬视频continues to support the use of dental amalgam based on the clinical judgment of the dentist as a safe, durable and affordable material to treat cavities if dentists and their patients agree it is the best treatment option, and dentists in the U.S. use devices called amalgam separators to prevent amalgam waste from entering the environment.
To date, there has been no properly designed scientific study demonstrating dental amalgam causes any long-term health effects or disease. The removal of clinically serviceable dental amalgam restorations solely to substitute a material that does not contain mercury is unwarranted and violates the 福利姬视频Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.
The 福利姬视频remains committed to promoting oral health and dental education to reduce tooth decay. The best dental filling is no dental filling. The 福利姬视频encourages people to prevent dental disease by brushing their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth daily, eating a healthy diet, and visiting the dentist regularly.