The Express Tribune
Published Date: Jun 28, 2016
Mercury-based dental filling to be banned soon
Mercury-based dental amalgam fillings will soon be banned. This was agreed in the first consultative meeting of stakeholders to gradually phase-out the use of Mercury amalgam in dental clinics and hospitals.
The meeting, chaired by the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) Joint Secretary Iftikharul Hassan Gilani, was organised by the ministry at its secretariat on Monday.
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It was also attended by officials of climate change and health ministries and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
The meeting was aimed to chalk out necessary measures to gradually phase-out the use of Mercury amalgam in dental clinics and hospitals throughout the country, starting with pregnant women and children in the first phase.
Initial concept note has been drafted in the meeting and after its finalisation it would be sent to the concerned departments for further deliberation and policy decisions.
The need for a national strategy to phase-out the use of this hazardous element and to introduce economical and environment-friendly alternatives in dentistry was also stressed.
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It was decided in the meeting that a road map for complete phase-out of Mercury amalgam use will be prepared and a cutoff date will also be given to public and private dental professionals.
It was also decided in the meeting that the Higher Education Commission and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council will also be advised to revise the curriculum as per need for effective implementation of Mercury amalgam phase-out and providing updated knowledge to the outgoing dental graduates.
Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/1131457/hazardous-element-mercury-based-dental-filling-banned-soon/