Our European correspondent, Ulf Bengtsson, reports.  Note that the CED, while citing authorities in support of amalgam, ignores the WHO 1991 and 2005 statements calling for discontinuing its use, and the WHO/ UNEP meeting the previous week that called for its eventual withdrawal.

On November 20, 2009, the Council of European Dentists (CED) representing more than 300,000 dentists across Europe held their General Meeting in Brussels. During that meeting they issued a new resolution on dental amalgam, http://www.eudental.eu/library/104/files/ced_doc_2009_067_e_fin-20091201-1351.pdf . See also the attached copy.

As you can see the environmental implications of dental amalgam is touched upon. There is however no intention what so ever of the CED to introduce any restrictions on the use of dental amalgam:

"The worldwide consensus of the dental profession is that amalgam should remain part of the dentist's armoury in order to best meet the needs of patients. It is important that patients must not be denied freedom of choice in respect of how to be treated. Dental amalgam continues to be the most appropriate filling material for many restorations, due to its ease of use, durability and cost-effectiveness. Dentists are best placed to identify patients' oral health needs. Restrictions on the use of amalgam would damage the financial stability of health systems as well as impact on individual patients' ability to afford dental care."

The former resolution began by stating that the WHO supported the use of dental amalgam. This was as most of you know an incorrect statement and that sentence is now taken away. Instead they say:

"The safety and importance of the continued use of amalgam is supported by the World Dental Federation (FDI) (Consensus Statement, 1997); and by the report from 1998 of the ad hoc dental amalgam working group mandated by the European Commission."

The CED president Dr.Orlando Monteiro da Silva has recently been elected President of the FDI World Dental Federation will take office in 2011. At that position he must have been fully informed of the WHO/UNEP meeting.

He is certainly not a stranger to personal PR:

http://orlandomonteirodasilva.com 
http://orlandomonteirodasilva.com/blog/

The struggle to get rid of dental amalgam continues...

Best wishes

Ulf Bengtsson

1st Research Engineer
Linköping University
Sweden"