The guideline\u00a0presents\u00a0a comprehensive package of safe,\u00a0effective\u00a0and mercury-free clinical interventions,\u00a0reflecting\u00a0the latest\u00a0scientific evidence\u00a0on prevention, non-invasive\u00a0care\u00a0and minimally invasive\u00a0management of dental\u00a0caries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dental caries\u00a0is\u00a0the most common noncommunicable disease globally,\u00a0affecting\u00a0an estimated\u00a02.7 billion people, The disease\u00a0often\u00a0begins\u00a0in early childhood and disproportionately\u00a0affects\u00a0underserved populations. Historically,\u00a0management of dental caries has relied heavily on\u00a0restorative treatment\u00a0using\u00a0dental amalgam, which\u00a0contains\u00a0mercury and poses risks\u00a0to\u00a0human health and the environment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new guideline responds to growing global commitments to\u00a0phase\u00a0out mercury\u00a0use\u00a0under the Minamata Convention on\u00a0Mercury and\u00a0to strengthen oral health within broader health agendas,\u00a0including the\u00a0Bangkok Declaration \u2013 No Health Without Oral Health. It\u00a0supports\u00a0countries\u00a0in\u00a0expanding\u00a0access to essential, cost-effective, and safe oral health services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis guideline represents a landmark in global oral health,\u201d\u00a0said Dr Benoit Varenne, WHO Dental Officer.\u00a0\u201cFor the first time, countries have strong evidence showing that safe and less invasive interventions with mercury-free products can effectively prevent, stop and manage dental caries, while providing a more environmentally sustainable alternative to dental amalgam.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A decisive contribution to achieving Universal Health Coverage for oral health by 2030\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guideline advances the\u00a0implementation\u00a0of the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023\u20132030, which calls for all countries to ensure access to essential, promotive,\u00a0preventive\u00a0and curative oral health services as part of universal health coverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By prioritizing prevention, scaling up noninvasive and minimally invasive interventions, and\u00a0supporting the\u00a0replacement\u00a0of\u00a0mercury-containing dental amalgam with safe, affordable alternatives, the guideline provides a\u00a0strong\u00a0technical foundation\u00a0for\u00a0integrating\u00a0essential oral health\u00a0services\u00a0into primary health care. It also supports countries\u00a0in meeting their obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0recommendations further\u00a0align\u00a0oral health care with\u00a0broader\u00a0global\u00a0commitments on\u00a0climate\u00a0action\u00a0and sustainable development goals, promoting environmentally sustainable approaches within health systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOral health care must evolve to support planetary health,\u201d\u00a0said Ms D\u00e9vora\u00a0Kestel, Director\u00a0a.i., WHO\u00a0Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.\u00a0\u201cBy promoting mercury-free products and less invasive clinical procedures, this guideline strengthens both environmental protection and universal access to safe, essential oral health care.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clear recommendations grounded in the best available scientific evidence\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guideline provides eight recommendations and two best practice statements, supported by\u00a0robust\u00a0evidence\u00a0that includes\u00a0systematic reviews on clinical performance, toxicology, cost-effectiveness\u00a0and environmental impact. Key areas of focus include:\u00a0<\/p>\n
population-wide preventive interventions, including a strong recommendation for fluoride varnish, and targeted interventions such as pit and fissure sealants for children at high risk of caries;\u00a0non-invasive management, such as fluoride varnish for initial caries lesions and biannual silver diamine fluoride to stop moderate caries lesions;\u00a0
mercury-free restorations, with guidance on the use of glass ionomer cements and resin-based composites;\u00a0safety requirements with protocols for handling resin-based materials to protect patients and health personnel; and\u00a0special considerations for vulnerable groups, including individuals with allergies, and limiting BPA (bisphenol A) derivative products among children, adolescents, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guideline\u00a0also\u00a0provides\u00a0actionable guidance for\u00a0governments, ministries of health and environment, professional\u00a0associations\u00a0and front-line health workers to:\u00a0<\/p>\n
integrate mercury-free products and non-invasive or minimally invasive interventions into national oral health policies and practices;\u00a0strengthen training,\u00a0curricula\u00a0and clinical protocols;\u00a0reduce environmental impact through improved waste management, sustainable\u00a0procurement\u00a0and supply chains;\u00a0and\u00a0expand access\u00a0to oral health services\u00a0through\u00a0primary health care\u00a0and\u00a0community-based\u00a0delivery models.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition, the guideline\u00a0identifies\u00a0key research gaps, particularly\u00a0in the\u00a0long\u2011term effectiveness\u00a0and\u00a0cost\u2011effectiveness\u00a0of interventions, monitoring of occupational\u00a0exposure\u00a0and environmental impact of mercury\u2011free\u00a0materials.\u00a0\u00a0It\u00a0calls for strengthened global collaboration to advance evidence and drive innovation\u00a0in oral health care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Note to editors:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guideline was developed through a broad, collaborative effort led by WHO, bringing together a wide range of internal and external contributors. Experts spanned oral health, public health, environmental science, biomaterials,\u00a0toxicology\u00a0and health systems. The work was overseen by the WHO\u2013UNEP Steering Committee, and it was developed as part of the\u00a0Global Environment Facility-funded GEF7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam project<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n WHO will host a global launch\u00a0webinar\u00a0to mark World Oral Health Day 2026\u00a0and officially introduce the new\u00a0guideline. The\u00a0event will take place on 19 March 2026, from 13:00 to 14:30 CET.\u00a0High-level speakers\u00a0will present the guideline,\u00a0sharing\u00a0country experiences, and highlight\u00a0its\u00a0contribution to the strategic agendas of global organizations working to advance oral health.\u00a0Further details,\u00a0including the\u00a0programme\u00a0and connection details\u00a0will be shared soon.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The guideline\u00a0presents\u00a0a comprehensive package of safe,\u00a0effective\u00a0and mercury-free clinical interventions,\u00a0reflecting\u00a0the latest\u00a0scientific evidence\u00a0on prevention, non-invasive\u00a0care\u00a0and minimally invasive\u00a0management of dental\u00a0caries.\u00a0 Dental…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":312453,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[134,527,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-312452","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312452\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}