A federal healthcare agency serving Native Americans and Alaska Natives will eliminate mercury-based dental fillings within the next few years, officials announced from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
For many years, the Indian Health Service has utilized dental amalgams containing elemental mercury to repair cavities and damaged teeth. Advocacy groups representing Native American communities and environmental organizations have long pushed for this change, contending that these materials expose vulnerable populations to dangerous neurotoxins, particularly those without access to private dental care.
These mercury-based amalgams, commonly called “silver fillings” because of their metallic appearance, have seen dramatic reductions in usage since the FDA upgraded their risk classification from low to moderate in 2009. Most dental practices have transitioned to plastic resin compounds, which offer both safety benefits and better cosmetic results.
By 2027, the Indian Health Service plans to completely transition to mercury-free dental materials. Statistics from the agency reveal a significant decrease in mercury filling usage among their approximately 2.8 million patients – dropping from 12% in 2005 to just 2% in 2023.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which supervises the Indian Health Service, cited increasing environmental and health worries about mercury exposure, along with international initiatives to eliminate hazardous heavy metals, as driving factors behind this month’s announcement.
“This is a commonsense step that protects patients and prevents harm before it starts,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated.
Kennedy emphasized that transitioning away from mercury-containing materials also fulfills the federal government’s legal obligations to the 575 officially recognized tribal nations.
The FDA notes that amalgam fillings may emit trace amounts of mercury vapor when installed, removed, or during activities like teeth grinding and chewing gum. The agency advises high-risk individuals – including expectant mothers, children younger than six, and people with neurological disorders – to avoid these fillings. However, both the FDA and American Dental Association maintain that current research doesn’t establish connections between mercury fillings and lasting health problems.
The World Health Organization has developed an initiative encouraging nations worldwide to discontinue dental amalgam use due to mercury exposure risks. In 2013, the United States joined other countries in signing the Minamata Convention, an international treaty addressing mercury’s harmful effects on health and the environment. Last November, treaty participants committed to eliminating mercury dental amalgams by 2034.
Although Kennedy’s 2027 timeline for the Indian Health Service exceeds the global target date, the United States still trails numerous developed countries that have already prohibited these materials.
“The rest of the world is light years ahead of us,” stated Rochelle Diver, who serves as the U.N. environmental treaties coordinator for the International Indian Treaty Council. She argued that Indian Health Service patients shouldn’t receive dental care that many practitioners now consider outdated.
The American Dental Association released a statement recognizing the decreased use of mercury fillings while maintaining they represent a “safe, durable and affordable material.”
Mercury usage in other medical equipment, including thermometers and blood pressure monitors, has also substantially declined over recent decades. While private dental practices have largely moved away from mercury amalgams, patients dependent on government healthcare programs often lack alternatives, according to Charles G. Brown, who leads the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry.
Brown noted that numerous state Medicaid programs still provide coverage for mercury-containing fillings as decay treatment.
“If you’re on Medicaid, if you are stuck in the Indian Health Service, if you were stuck in a prison or other institution, you just don’t have any choice,” Brown explained.
