Dental amalgam controversy from July 2018 onwards, the EU Mercury Regulation prohibits the use of dental amalgam in children under 15 years old and pregnant or breastfeeding woman. Additional requirements include the use of pre-encapsulated mercury and ethical disposal of waste amalgam. The British Dental Association (BDA) has worked with the Council of European Dentists (CED) to prevent an immediate ban of amalgam until further research into practicalities has been undertaken. The European Commission will report to European Parliament by June 2020, and to the European Council by 2030 regarding the viability of ending dental amalgam use by 2030. Dental amalgam controversy This
Dental amalgam controversy condoned the use of dental amalgam. In 1855, Dr. J. Foster Flagg, a professor of dental pathology in Philadelphia, experimented with new mixtures of amalgam. In 1861, he presented his findings to the Pennsylvania Association of Dental Surgeons and, in 1881, he published his book, Plastic and Plastic Fillings (Figure 4). (Amalgam fillings were often called "plastic fillings" at the time.) The inevitable result of this affair was that silver amalgam was proven to be, "an excellent filling material," and expanded dentistry's, "ability to save teeth." Around the same time, John and Charles Tomes in England conducted research on the