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Efforts to stop the archaic practice of using amalgam “mercury” fillings have been gaining speed, with several significant milestones taking place in 2013.

The culmination took place in October, when a legally binding international treaty to control the use of this toxic metal was signed into action (and, victoriously, the treaty gives special attention to the use of amalgam).

A sign that the issue of mercury toxicity is becoming well established in the dental field came when two publications –
Dental Tribune and Dentistry IQ – posted articles online

The articles addressed a letter from environmental, health, social justice, and consumer groups from 40 nations calling on a leading amalgam manufacturer to cease the toxic trade in dental mercury.

The articles, which appeared in September and October, mysteriously disappeared, however, and now it’s been confirmed that Dentsply was behind the disappearance of at least one of them.

Amalgam Manufacturer Effectively Silences Mercury Toxicity Info

The
Dental Tribune acknowledged that they removed the mercury and Dentsply articles “because [they] received a big complaint from the company [Dentsply].”

The move has environmental and health activists worried that the industry bigwig has no plans to stop their mercury manufacturing and, instead, may be simply switching their target markets. According to Consumers for Dental Choice:

“The censored Dental Tribune piece included references to ‘the treaty on phasing down the use of amalgam’ and widely held concerns that ‘the dental companies will dispose of mercury-containing filling materials in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.'”