Mercury-containing fillings are on their way out worldwide. If your clinic still places or removes amalgam, the timeline is now concrete, and getting ready is mostly about habits and training, not big purchases.
What happened
From 19 to 22 October 2026, more than 75 policymakers and experts from Africa, Asia and Latin America met in Dakar, Senegal. The meeting combined an African workshop with the closing meeting of the GEF-7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam Project, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by UNEP and run by the World Health Organization.
It comes one year after the sixth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, where parties decided to phase out dental amalgam by 2034. The WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023-2030 also sets a goal that 90% of countries will have phased down or phased out amalgam by 2030. WHO reports that as of 2024, 31% of countries globally had reached that goal, and 13% in its African Region.
The three pilot countries were Senegal, Thailand and Uruguay. Senegal's pilot included a national assessment, a good-practice guide, training for oral health professionals in mercury-free and less invasive care, and 13 amalgam separators installed to keep mercury out of wastewater.
What this means for a clinic
- Know where you stand. Note how often your clinic still uses amalgam, and for which patients. You cannot plan a transition without that baseline.
- Train your team on alternatives. The pilot work put weight on skills in mercury-free and less invasive care. Ask your supplier or professional body about hands-on courses for the materials you plan to use.
- Handle waste properly now. Mercury is released when fillings are placed or removed, and in waste. Check whether your area requires amalgam separators and approved collection of amalgam waste, and keep the paperwork.
- Tell patients early. Some patients will ask why a material is changing. A short, plain explanation in the consent conversation builds trust, and so does recording what they agreed to.
- Record the material in the chart. Knowing which material is in which tooth helps with future treatment, recalls and any removal later.
The practical point
Phase-outs rarely arrive on one day. They arrive as local rules, supplier changes and patient questions. Clinics that start with a simple baseline, trained staff and clean waste handling will find the final deadline a non-event.
Sources
Read on 23 October 2026.
WHO Regional Office for Africa: Accelerating global transition to mercury-free oral health care (19 October 2026)
WHO: Oral health care and the environment
UNEP: GEF-7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam Project
This post is general information, not clinical or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Email ivorodental@gmail.com and we will fix it.
