The Swedish Government has decided to withdraw compensation for the placement of mercury amalgam fillings, effective 1 January 1999. The aim is to ban completely the use of dental amalgam within two years.

And in Australia, contrary to the claims made by the Australian Dental Association that amalgam is safe, amalgam manufacturers themselves are now acknowledging the intrinsic dangers of this material.

For example, Caulk Company, the manufacturer of Dispersalloy, published the latest Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and Directions For Use (DFU) which includes contraindications to the use of dental amalgam.

This places dentists in an interesting legal position. Dentists are obliged to be familiar with information published in MSDSs for the products they use. If a patient suffers ill-effects from the product being used in a way which is contrary to the manufacturer's directions, then the dentist may be liable for the consequences.

Source: Australasian Society of Oral Medicine and Toxicology
13 March, 1998
P. O. Box A860
Sydney South, NSW 2000
Australia
Phone: 61 (0) 29867 1111)