Mercury is a highly toxic chemical that threatens the health of humans and the environment. When it is released into the environment, it enters the food chain where it accumulates, particularly in fish. Exposure to high levels of mercury can cause harm to the brain, lungs, kidneys and the immune system. For these reasons, dental amalgam fillings which contain mercury have long been criticized. This is particularly true in the realm of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) where, as discussed repeatedly, amalgam has long been a subject of both concern and misinformation, e.g.:
- Is removal of dental amalgam a good idea?
- Dental Amalgam
- Three Trends In “Alternative Dentistry” Part 3: Amalgam Removal and Avoidance
- Three Trends In “Alternative Dentistry” Part 1: The Concept of Projections—Of Meridians and Temporo-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD)
- Holistic dentistry?
In the EU, dental amalgam might soon be merely of historical interest.
It has been announced that the EU Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement on the Commission’s proposal to address the remaining uses of mercury in products in the EU in line with commitments set out in the EU’s Zero Pollution Ambition.
In spite of viable mercury-free alternatives, around 40 tonnes of mercury are still used in the EU annually for dental amalgam as current rules only forbid the use of dental amalgam for treating teeth in children under 15 years old as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Negotiators agreed to phase out the use of dental amalgam in the EU by 1 January 2025 except if deemed strictly necessary by the dental practitioner based on the duly justified specific medical needs of the patient.
EU countries that have not yet adjusted their reimbursement system to cover alternatives, may postpone the phase-out up until 30 June 2026, to avoid negative repercussions for low-income individuals that would otherwise be socio-economically disproportionally affected by the phase-out.
The export of dental amalgam will also be prohibited from 1 January 2025, whereas the manufacturing and import into the EU will be banned from 1 July 2026.
After the agreement, rapporteur Marlene Mortler (EPP, Germany) said: “After an intensive week of negotiations, we were able to reach an agreement today to ban dental amalgam containing mercury. This is an important step towards a mercury-free future. I am very pleased with the result – because we have ensured that such dental amalgam may only be used in medically necessary cases. Some Member States have been granted an exemption in order to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of the amalgam phase-out. After all, the ban on dental amalgam must not mean that low-income EU citizens can no longer afford adequate dental treatment in these countries. Another key point of this agreement is the decision that lamps containing mercury may only be exported to countries outside the EU until 30 June 2026. This will ensure that products that are already banned in the EU are not sold to third countries and have environmentally harmful consequences there.”
The deal still has to be adopted by the EU Parliament and Council, after which the new law will be published in the EU Official Journal and enter into force 20 days later.
33 Responses to The EU will phase out the use of dental amalgam
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Good for the environment for sure. But in terms of health, there’s no good evidence (despite a lot of research) that Hg amalgams damage one’s health. But this doesn’t stop folk demanding that their dentist remove all their Hg fillings. A process that will actually cause more Hg to be ingested than leaving them alone! Woo-woo merchants fear Hg amalgams and contribute to peoples’ hysteria-driven demands to have their Hg fillings removed. (Most dentists, at least in the UK, Will say No, on ethical grounds; but some accede – for a fee.)
I was waiting for Dr Ernst to comment on the aspect of this that you mention. I wish that his discussion had addressed the environment vs heath and safety issue.
There are 2 areas of concern. One is graveyards. In older days the soil from graveyards was sold for being used for plants. But with all the heavy metal in it, that is not possible anymore.
The other is mercury in free nature. THERE, the main source is wildfires. Dental amalgam does not play a role there. Except for graveyards…
Thank YOU Edzard. You’ve finally awakened to certain obvious facts about the dangers of mercury, a widely acknowledged neurotoxin. Some of us have expressed concern about THIS issue since 1991: https://homeopathic.com/homeopathy-and-dentistry-keep-you-smiling/
I wonder when you’ll finally express concern about mercury in vaccines (STILL!)(in a large number of influenza vaccines) or another neurotoxin (aluminum). Heck, aluminum is the THIRD most common element on our planet’s surface, and yet, not a single living creature incorporate aluminum into its body as an essential element. And yet, we actually inject this neurotoxin into the bodies of infants and elders and anyone else who is foolish enough to get one of the many vaccines that includes it.
Is it any wonder that “vaccine science” today rarely uses true placebos in conducting their trials. Instead, it is much more common to include the same ingredients in vaccines, except the pathogen, as a “placebo”! These “shit science” studies are obvious red (even maroon) flags that should alert everyone that Big Pharma is avoiding true safety studies and therefore pretending that these vaccines are safe.
It is only time when you’ll be writing mea culpas on other subjects, including my favorite (of course) homeopathic medicine.
Oh dear Dana. Another stick for you to grab the wrong end of, wave around and poke yourself in the eye with.
You don’t know the difference between elemental mercury, alloyed mercury and compounded mercury.
You don’t know the difference between methylmercury and ethylmercury.
You don’t understand bioaccumulation.
You don’t understood clinical trials.
You don’t really understand anything to do with science and medicine.
It’s why people don’t take any notice of you. And you hate this. We feel this anger in every word you write. And we laugh at it. You pathetic, ignorant, incompetent, inconsequential goon.
Actually, the know the difference between the different mercuries…and I know the diff between ingested mercury and injected mercury…but I bet you don’t!
BUT…please explain to us all how you or ANYONE can evaluate safety issues when a true saline placebo is rarely used. Please cite recent studies for each of the various vaccines when a real saline placebo was used (and I bet and I know that you can’t).
And please tell us all why good placebo controlled trials are so carefully avoided in vaccine “science.”
No, @Dullman, you have no idea about science, including chemistry. You have demonstrated this often enough with your infantile stammering about the alleged mode of action of homeopathy and the meaningless use of the term “nano”.
A little tip: The element mercury has different properties than a mercury compound. Just as the compound sodium chloride (table salt) is essential for humans in small dosages, while chlorine is a highly toxic gas and sodium a highly reactive metal.
@Dana Ullman
I wish that I could say that you are totally ignorant about chemistry, medicine and science in general, but that would be a lie. You are far worse than ignorant: you are a rather dim-witted believer of things that are completely wrong, yet you promulgate those beliefs with a zeal and an arrogance as if they were the gospel truth.
1. There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that thimerosal (the mercury compound used in vaccines) is harmful in the dose used. In 2001, thimerosal was removed from all childhood vaccines in the US after many years of antivaxxers screaming bloody murder about it. The result? NOTHING CHANGED in kids’ health. And what did those antivaxxers do? Did they apologize for being wrong? Nope, they simply moved on to the next ingredient on the list, aluminum.
2. Contrary to far more harmful mercury compounds, thimerosal from vaccines disappears from the body within a couple of weeks at most. It does not accumulate in the body, it does not end up in the brain, and there is no evidence that it causes any harmful effects.
3. Most countries don’t use thimerosal in their vaccines. Yet there is no difference in (neurological) health compared to US citizens (although I’m not so sure about this one any more, given that almost half the US population seems poised to vote for a narcissistic, sociopathic pathological liar with overt fascistic tendencies as their next president).
Aluminum is only neurotoxic with long-term high-dose exposure, as in: workers in aluminum factories exposed to high levels of aluminum dust for decades on end. There is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that the aluminum compounds used in vaccines is harmful in any way. It’s just the next ingredient on the list for desperate antivaxxers who want to point to something, anything supposedly bad in vaccines.
Sigh. You are just brainlessly parroting dumb antivaxx talking points.
So, Mr. Ullman, can you come up with any EVIDENCE for the frankly very, very stupid claims that you make here? No? Now why am I not surprised …
Then again, what can we expect of a homeopath – and especially a homeopath who, even after many years of making vehement claims that homeopathy works, has NEVER come up with EVEN ONE homeopathic preparation showing any clear, consistent and repeatable effect in any way.
It’s quite simple really:
– Vaccines are VERY safe and quite effective. Vaccines are one of the foundations of our public health, and have saved countless millions of lives.
– Homeopathy does not work. It is a belief system, not a system of medicine. It is mainly a way to separate the gullible from their money.
When the vaccine industry doesn’t use a simple saline placebo, it is EASY to not know what is and isn’t safe.
It is so much fun watching people here defend shit science…and disrespect placebo controlled trials. This is remarkable.
@Dana Ullman
This ‘shit science’ saved hundreds of millions of lives over the past centuries.
And not only has this ‘shit science’ saved more human lives than any other medical invention in history (and still saves lives today), it did this in the best possible way, by preventing serious disease – in a completely natural way, by triggering the body’s own defence system with just a minute bit of immunogenic material.
Which in fact is almost exactly how homeopaths claim that homeopathy works. The big difference of course being that homeopathy doesn’t work at all, and that is because homeopathy is a religion rather than a science. Homeopaths feel safe and secure as long as they stick with their claims to magic.
Just like Trump still claiming that the was the rightful winner of the 2020 election, but that victory was denied him by ‘crooked politicians’, homoeopaths keep claiming that their magic works – but that ‘shit scientists’ and crooked doctors peddling dangerous vaccines will not admit this.
It’s quite funny actually: I present clear evidence that some of the most widely used vaccines in (very) recent history were in fact ALL tested against saline placebo, but you still ramble on about the vaccine industry not using saline placebos. And it has also been explained to you why testing newer variants of existing, proven safe vaccines need no testing against saline placebos (and why such a test would even be highly unethical). I think it’s a waste of time and effort to try and explain this once again – as your ignorance and dimwittery are only exceeded by your colossal arrogance and inability to actually learn something. All of which traits make you an exemplary homeopath 🙂
Anyway, all this antivaxx homeostupidity is off-topic here, and you’ve taken up more than enough valuable space here already. The subject of this thread is that the EU wants to phase out the use of mercury as much as possible – which I think is a good thing. Even though some mercury compounds are way less hazardous than others, they sooner or later all end up in the environment, which is very undesirable.
Dana Ullman does not say a word about mercury in homeopathic remedies.
But he wants to compare placebos with placebos. Well, that is what homeopaths do in their studies. Unless they poison patients with mercury…
Nor does Mr Ullman address another neurotoxin frequently prescribed by homeopaths: arsenic.
QUOTES from his website
Arsenicum (arsenic): People who need this remedy feel throbbing and burning pains in the sinuses… Their teeth may feel long and painful…
[https://homeopathic.com/homeopathy-and-sinusitis-safer-remedies/]
Arsenicum album (arsenic): This remedy is the leading remedy for diarrhea caused by food poisoning or from viral diseases.
[https://homeopathic.com/the-treatment-of-diarrhea-with-homeopathic-medicines/]
Arsenicum 30 is useful when profuse bleeding leads to great weakness, burning pains, restlessness, anxiety, and fear, along with a characteristically large thirst for only sips at a time.
[https://homeopathic.com/a-homeopathic-perspective-on-pre-and-post-surgical-treatment/]
Women’s Tear Stimulation Eye Drops (10 mL)
Contains, amongst other things, neurotoxins:
• Alumina HPUS 14x
• Arsenicum album HPUS 12x
Heavy metal:
• Zincum met HPUS 11x
@ama
There is of course no mercury in homeopathic preparations of 12C+ and higher.
BUT … the ‘mother tincture’ does contain mercury in very significant amounts – and you know what? It literally is ALL discarded during the
potentizationdilution process.So those water-shaking clowns in effect take concentrated mercury, and then turn it in huge amounts of mercury-containing waste – every single gram of it. (And I am pretty certain that they don’t treat it as toxic waste, especially in homeoparadise countries such as India.)
@Richard Rasker on Monday 12 February 2024 at 15:47
You talk to the wrong person. It is not me, who wrote this:
https://edzardernst.com/2024/02/the-eu-will-phase-out-the-use-of-dental-amalgam/#comment-150224
AND you really should READ this:
[*QUOTE*]
—————————————-
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Solution = D2
Commonly used tablets (Dil): D6, D4
Commonly used ampoules: D6
—————————————-
[*/QUOTE*]
more:
https://edzardernst.com/2024/02/the-eu-will-phase-out-the-use-of-dental-amalgam/#comment-150201
and in full here:
http://www.allaxys.com/~kanzlerzwo/index.php?topic=13172.0
These are dilutions which are manufactured by the DHU. They are produced because they are sold. They are sold because naturopaths and homeopathic MD use and prescribe them.
These dilutions are FAR from “nothing in it”. Why won’t you realize that?
Homeopathy has TWO ends (aside of the coffin), and both lead into the coffin…
You skeptics are hilarious. It is so convenient for you to seemingly forget that toxic effects are not just the result of the substance but the DOSE! Whooops!
Comparing the “dangers” of homeopathic medicines with the dangers of conventional medicines is a total laugher. Thanx for that.
@Dana
What kind of effect would it have on the wildlife if I were to dump 1g of mercury vs 500kg of the same in ponds of same size? Before you open your mouth and make a fool of yourself, I think wildlife in the pond that received 1g of mercury will die a slow and painful death due to mercury poisoning (it’s the DOSE STUPID!!) whereas ducks the other pond will continue to quack to their hearts content making all the homeo-quacks feel validated. If you don’t agree with me, prove me wrong!!
Just look at this:
[*QUOTE*]
————————————
Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH on Tuesday 13 February 2024 at 15:05
You skeptics are hilarious. It is so convenient for you to seemingly forget that toxic effects are not just the result of the substance but the DOSE! Whooops!
Comparing the “dangers” of homeopathic medicines with the dangers of conventional medicines is a total laugher. Thanx for that.
————————————
[*/QUOTE*]
So the dose plays a role? Does it? Then do explain this, Dana Ullman:
[*QUOTE*]
—————————————-
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Solution = D2
Commonly used tablets (Dil): D6, D4
Commonly used ampoules: D6
—————————————-
[*/QUOTE*]
These are dilutions of a mercury compound which is manufactured and sold by the DHU, sold because naturopaths and homeopathic MD use it and prescribe it.
Here we have the proof that homeopaths DO poison their clients, and the proof, that Dana Ullman, like the skeptics, is incapable of realizing, that homeopathic remedies are sold up the undiluted mother tinctures AS HOMEOPATHIC.
Is Dana Ullman a skeptic gone astray?
@Dana Ullman
Just one more thing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8767431/
So you are not just rather dim-witted, you are a liar. Unless of course you want to argue that saline solutions are not a placebo. After all, those water-shaking clowns called ‘homeopaths’ believe that an infinitely diluted saline solution is a ‘homeopathic medicine’ (and thus certainly not a placebo AT ALL … the fools).
I’ve deactivated two URLs in the following:
VaccineInjury website is run by German homeopath Andreas Bachmair.
Rather sad that DU, who decorates himself with the letters MPH (Master of Public Health), is himself a veritable public health hazard. One might think he got his degree from a cereal packet?
Menace to Public Health (MPH)
*Thumbs up*
By any chance, is that degree called DPH, Danger to Public Health?
Dana Ullman stepped into the trap…
Dental amalgam is a pest. It contains mercury and mercury is VERY poisonous. Only, there are some weird people on earth (and it is NOT the dentists!), who use mercury compounds quite often.
It is HOMEOPATHS! Mercury compounds are about the most-used chemicals in homeopathic remedies.
Already over 20 years ago, end of 2001, Aribert Deckers wrote a smashing article on this. I translated it with deepl.com and archived it at
http://www.allaxys.com/~kanzlerzwo/index.php?topic=13172.0
The German original is
http://www.ariplex.com/ama/ama_rep1.htm
I now quote the main parts, the ones about chemical and dilutions. The critical point here is not only, that these chemicals are used, but that they are used in LOW dilutions! The data is from a solid source: from the DHU, the largest German manufacturer of homeopathic remedies.
Here we see at the very source, that the skeptics mess up badly with homeopathy. Their claim “there is nothing in it” is dead wrong. And this is known for more than 2 decades.
The homeopaths, of course do know all that. One of the 2 Berlin brothers Krüger makes videos, which can be found on Youtube. He admits, that some plant-based homeopathica are in so low dilutions, that they actually are phytopharmaca.
Now, see for yourself, what homeopaths do with mercury compounds:
[*QUOTE*]
—————————————————————–
Repertorium hydrargyrum
How to sell mercury to the sick
19.10.2001
Are you ill? Do you suffer from one of the following diseases or have
the following symptoms?
Table 1
Adnexitis
angina
Colica mucosa and colitis
Intestinal colic
Diphtheria
dysentery
suppurations
Eczema
Endometritis and metritis
Exudative diathesis
Gastroenteritis
Articular rheumatism
gingivitis
glossitis
Gonorrhea
Hordeolum
carcinoma
keratitis
Headache and migraine
cramps
Consequences of lues
Lymphadenitis and lymphangitis
mastitis
Cradle cap
Nephritis and nephrosis
Neuralgia
neuritis
Ringing in the ears
Osteomalacia and osteomyelitis
Otitis media
ozaena
paradentosis
parotitis
Phlebitis
phlegmon
Proctitis
Prostatic hypertrophy and prostatitis
Ptyalism
Pyelitis and pyelonephritis
Irritable bladder
Scarlatina
Seborrhea
Septic processes
multiple sclerosis
thrush
stomatitis
sycosis
Tabes dorsales
tonsillar abscess
Trigeminal neuralgia
urethritis
dental caries
Toothache
What do the above diseases/disorders/symptoms have in common?
You can find out, for example, with a small book with the title
“Homeopathic revision course”
Pharmacology in tabular form
Published by the German Homeopathy Union
Pharmaceutically revised
Reprint
German Homeopathic Union . Karlsruhe
There you will find (in the 1994 edition from page 318) a “Register of the
main indications”.
What do you notice? All the diseases/disorders/symptoms mentioned above
are “treated” by homeopaths with mercury…
Mercury, a poison that is warned about everywhere, of all things
MERCURY is supposed to be in medicines? Yes, it is. Unfortunately.
See for yourself!
I would like to give you a little hint when searching for the book:
This revision book
is only for distribution
to professional circles
This note can be found on the 2nd cover page.
Why this? Perhaps because patients might otherwise find out
what they are being subjected to?
In detail, it refers to the following forms/compounds of mercury:
(The page number refers to the 1994 edition from which the data is taken)
are taken from)
(Emphasis mine)
Table 2
Mercurius bijodatus
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 202)
Mercurius iodatus ruber
Hydrargyrum bijodatum rubrum
Mercury iodide
HgJ2
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
SV solution = D3
Commonly used tablets (Dil): D4, D6, D3
Commonly used ampoules: D6, D8, D15
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Mercurius cyanatus
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 202)
Hydrargyrum cyanatum
Mercuricyanide
Mercuricyanide
Hg(CN)2
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Solution = D2
Commonly used tablets (Dil): D6, D4
Commonly used ampoules: D6
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Mercurius dulcis
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 202)
Calomel
Mercurius chloratus
Hydrargyrum chloratum
Mercury chlorate
Hg2Cl2
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Tablets in common use : D4,D3
Commonly used ampoules : D8
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Mercurius solubilis
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 204)
Mercurius solubilis Hahnemanni
Hydrargyrum oxydulatum nigrum Hahnemanni
A mixture that essentially contains mercuroamidonitrate = NH2Hg2NO3,
metallic Hg and mercury(I) oxide Hg2O.
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Commonly used tablets : D4, D6, D12, D3
Dil : D8
Common ampoules : D8, D10, D12, D15 and higher
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Mercurius sublimatus corrosivus
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 204)
Mercurius corrosivus
Hydrargyrum bichloratum
sublimate
Quicksilver chloride
HgCl2
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 5a: Solution = D1
Common tablets (Dil): D6, D4
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Mercurius sulfuratus ruber
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 206)
see also Cinnabaris
Hydrargyrum sulfuratum rubrum
Mercury sulphide
Cinnabar
(generally prescribed as “Cinnabaris”)
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Commonly used tablets: D4, D3, D6
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Mercurius vivus
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
(page 206)
Hydrargyrum
Mercury
Hg
Prescription only up to and including D3
Prescription 6: Trituration = D1
Commonly used tablets : D4
Corresponds perfectly to the indications of Mercurius solubilis.
[…]
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
Cinnabaris
[***QUOTE***]
————————————————————————
Cinnabaris = red mercury sulphide,
Data like Mercurius sulfuratus ruber
————————————————————————
[***/QUOTE***]
[…]
—————————————————————–
[*/QUOTE*]
So much for the righteousness of homeopaths in general, and of some homeopaths in special…
Not going to effect UK ? With the lack of access to dentists in UK probably not going to mean a lot !
40 tonnes = 40,000 Kg =40,000,000g of Mercury. That might be for some of slightly more concern to the environment than a few g used to make homeopathic potencies.
I see that Arsenic has now been identified as another homeopathic hazard.
If there is concern over contamination of the environment with Mercury and Arsenic by homeopaths then the authorities should be urgently alerted regarding any alleged risk to public health.
Nothing will happen though as this is really all about a few frustrated types venting off and I dont think that any poster on here is daft enough to make themselves look stupid without evidence to any authority.
Maybe this blog is also a therapy for a few frustrated with homeopathy? More research on this is needed and maybe a trial could be carried out . I suggest one third of this frustrated with homeopathy group consisting of those blog posting on Edzards blog , one third of this group who not blog posting , another third who are not blog posting are given Curcumin in a free curry.
I will be the Investigator and dont worry you can trust me.
There may be criticisms of this trial especially regarding the minimal homeopathic assessment tools used but this is only a pilot study and more research will be required. My costs will be high though but as with some researchers I see a nice pension.
That’s further evidence that alt-med types can’t do humour
Thank you for your evidence.
JK says “”That might be for some of slightly more concern to the environment than a few g used to make homeopathic potencies.”
According to Law of Minimum Dose, few grams of Hg would cause more damage to the environment than 40 tonns of Hg. And you need a refresher course in Homeopathy.
Big yawn as you are avoiding the issue.
So when Talker are you going to contact the authorities regarding this issue of homeopaths poisoning the environment with Mercury? First time of asking. Serious allegations have been made. So are you just writing any old stuff for fun or are you going to do something about it ie contact the authorities urgently?
Yes, the authorities have been contacted. They will be knocking on the doors of every homeopath in this world, and I believe that includes you JK. If Hahnemann’s Law of Minimum Dose holds true, then homeopaths can be easily convicted in the court of law for polluting the environment. Lock them up!
In case of any dawn raids by masses of police, army, MHRA and environment agency officials, I will place a copy of Scientist in Wonderland by Edzard Ernst in the porch. They might then assume they have the wrong address.
🤣🤣🤣