Key Details of the Agreement

• Global Commitment: More than 150 countries, including the European Union member states, the UK, India, and the US, are parties to the Minamata Convention and have agreed to this phase-out timeline.
• Public Health and Environmental Milestone: The agreement is considered a historic step towards eliminating mercury pollution, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern.
• Alternatives Exist: Safe and effective alternatives to mercury amalgam, such as composite resin, glass ionomer, ceramics, and gold, are available and have been in use for some time.
• Transition Period: The 2034 deadline was a compromise. A bloc of African countries had initially pushed for a faster timeline of 2030, but some nations, including India and Iran, resisted, saying it was too soon. The 2034 date was adopted as an ambitious but realistic timeline. 

Key aspects:

• Mercury dental amalgam, used for over 175 years as a filling material, consists of approximately 50% mercury combined with other metals.
• The Minamata Convention on Mercury, an international treaty to protect health and environment from mercury pollution, was adopted in 2013 and the phase-out amendment was agreed upon in 2025 during COP-6.
• Over 150 countries are signatories to this treaty, agreeing to stop the use, production, import, and export of mercury dental amalgams by January 1, 2034.
• The phase-out aims to reduce human exposure to toxic mercury, which can damage the brain, kidneys, and especially harms developing babies.
• Countries have flexibility to use amalgam when essential for patient care, with phasedown measures until the 2034 deadline.
• Countries and dental services have time to adapt, train dentists, manage waste, and install mercury separators in clinics to prevent environmental contamination.
• Some countries and regions already restrict or banned amalgam use, especially for children and pregnant women.
• The phase-out is seen as a historical milestone toward eliminating mercury use in dentistry for safer health and environmental outcomes globally.
• African nations advocated for an earlier ban by 2030, while some countries opposed too early a phase-out.
• The treaty’s implementation will involve laws, regulations, programs for alternatives, and support to ensure access to safe dental care without mercury.
• This agreement highlights the global commitment to reduce mercury pollution and protect vulnerable populations through safer dental practices.
• This phased, treaty-backed approach provides both a clear deadline and transitional support to replace mercury tooth fillings with safer alternatives worldwide by 2034.

Key points about India's stance on mercury tooth fillings ending by 2034:

• India is a party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
• India agreed to the global phase-out deadline of 2034, opposed a sooner 2030 cutoff.
• The phase-out aims to eliminate mercury in dental fillings worldwide.
• There is growing advocacy within India for protecting vulnerable groups from mercury exposure.
• Alternatives to mercury amalgam, such as composite fillings, are already in use in some Indian dental institutions.

Thus, India’s formal commitment aligns with the global consensus to end mercury tooth fillings by 2034 to reduce severe health and environmental risks from mercury exposure.

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