Dental industry supports mercury-reduction proposal

The Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA) has backed a proposal for the Australian Government to run a national communications campaign promoting voluntary installation of dental amalgam waste traps and separators.

The proposal is associated with the likely ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

Its importance to the dental industry is that dental amalgam contains approximately 50 per cent mercury and is used in around one-quarter of new fillings.

The good news is that as a result of the dental industry’s development of new and innovative pathways, dental professionals have now adopted the use of alternative, non-mercury containing products such as resin composite and glass-ionomer in the majority of their dental restoration work.

“Although the use of dental amalgam is showing a sustained decrease in Australia, mercury may be released into the environment from the removal of existing amalgams from patients during dental procedures such as replacement fillings, crowns and extractions,” said ADIA CEO Troy Williams.

Extracted amalgam materials are either rinsed into sewage systems or are disposed of as municipal waste. There is currently no national regulation governing the use, control or release of mercury waste from dental practices.

The Australian Government has accepted advice from ADIA that the best management practice to reduce mercury releases from dental facilities is to install traps and separators that collect the mercury-containing waste before it enters the sewage system. Australian Government documents estimate that this measure would collect approximately 1,300 kilograms of mercury each year.

“The Australian Government is proposing that after ratification of the convention, it runs a national communications campaign promoting voluntary installation of dental amalgam waste traps and separators. This recommendation is supported by ADIA without qualification,” Williams said.

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Oral health neglected by some due to high dental fees

The high and growing cost of accessing health services, including affordable dental care, is the number one reason that individuals living in—or at risk of—poverty, and their families, are unable to improve their health according to the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS).

A new report from NCOSS surveyed 400 low income earners from Sydney and regional NSW to understand their experience in this regard and their priorities for action.

NCOSS CEO Tracy Howe said that low income earners nominated health as the number one issue for state government, with affordable dental care the top priority for budgetary investment.

“NSW is one of the most expensive states for dental care, with the average cost of a dental visit which includes a dental examination, two X-rays and a scale and clean service sitting at just over $200,” said Howe.

“Yet we know the affordability of going to the dentist has both personal and system-wide implications, with dental conditions the third highest reason for acute preventable hospital admissions in Australia.”

Howe said that when asked about their top priority in a list of actions the NSW government could take that would make a real difference to themselves and their families, 67 per cent of respondents nominated access to timely, affordable dental care.

“Australians pay more out of their own pockets for health treatment than most other OECD countries,” Howe said, adding that the NCOSS Pre-Budget Submission recommended investing an additional $25 million per annum into oral health services in NSW.

“Too many people in NSW simply don’t have access to the dental services they need. Given the broader health implications of poor dental health we can’t afford to let this problem continue further.”

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