EU ban on silver fillings will lead to supply chain problems in UK, experts say

AN EU ban on silver fillings will be the straw that breaks the back of NHS dentistry, industry leaders are warning.

The European Parliament has voted to outlaw dental amalgam — the material most commonly used for NHS fillings — by January 2025.

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But the British Dental Association said the ban would lead to supply chain problems across the UK.

Northern Ireland would be most affected because post-Brexit rules mean it would have to phase out amalgam on the same basis as EU states.

Amalgam, a mix of metals including toxic mercury, is used in about a third of procedures.

The BDA said alternatives would cost significantly more and would lead to treatments taking longer.

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Chairman Eddie Crouch said: “When we are set to lose a key weapon in the treatment of tooth decay, all four UK governments appear asleep at the wheel.

“This will add new costs and uncertainties to practices already on the brink.

"Without decisive action this could be the straw that breaks the back of NHS dentistry.”