Stakeholders agree to end dental amalgam for children in Edo State by 2018

A milestone towards making dental amalgam history in Nigeria and particularly in Edo State was achieved on Tuesday October 31, 2017 as stakeholders including government officials, dental practitioners, dental students and surgery technicians, media and civil society groups among others resolved to end dental amalgam for children in Edo State by 2018.
The resolution was reached at a daylong maiden stakeholder’s workshop on phase-down of dental amalgam use in Edo State organised by Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) with the auspices of World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry held in Benin, Edo State.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop, participants urged the Federal government, others states and all nations of Africa to end amalgam use in children under 16, pregnant and breast feeding women as of July 1st, 2018.
Other recommendations are “In compliance with the provisions of the Minamata Convention, government should initiate a coordinated multi-sectoral approach for an effective phase down of use of dental amalgam in Nigeria.
“Updating dental schools training curriculum to emphasize mercury-free dentistry and implementation of a phase down work plan, this must also include legislative review and development of guidelines, gathering baseline data and developing the national overview.
“Initiation of demonstration projects and application of best available technology and environmental practice in the management of dental amalgam; Promotion of alternatives/transition to alternatives by a concession for imported alternative restorative materials and engaging the public and media as well as other stakeholders in awareness creation on the health impacts of mercury in dental amalgam and the need for prevention of caries.”
Participants also call for an urgent need for Nigeria to domesticate the Minamata Convention as soon as possible.
It was observed that mercury is a chemical of global concern owing to its long range atmospheric transport, its persistence in the environment once anthropogenically introduced and its ability to bio-accumulate in ecosystems.
Importantly, that exposure to mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, cardiovascular system and immune system, particularly in women, unborn children and infants.
Participants also observed the low level of awareness among Nigerians on the dangers of mercury in dental amalgam; the widely use of dental amalgam in the country as the most affordable dental filling material serving the restorative health needs of Nigerians and the limited number of dental clinics and centres to provide services for Nigeria’s teeming population among others.
In a goodwill message, Minister of State for the Environment, Mr. Ibrahim Jibril, represented by an Assistant Director in the Ministry, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, said a lot of work is going on in Nigeria by the government, non-governmental organisations to ensure a phase-down of mercury in the country.
The Minister who commended the organisers of the workshop said it will allow for an analysis of the effect of mercury in dentistry in the country.
Dean, School of Dentistry, University of Benin, Prof. O. Obuekwe represented by Dr. Sunny Okeigbemen, said although dental amalgam use in dentistry as been long but that the school is ready for the change in paradigm.
He added that the over 40 years old institution is ready to work with NGOs to make dental amalgam history in Nigeria.
Chairman, Nigeria Dental Association (NDA), Edo State chapter, Dr. Anthony Osaguona, said the group understand the concept and is willing to key in to the process adding that the communiqué will be discuss fully in their meeting and implement it.
President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, a global coalition of NGOs championing the campaign for mercury-free dentistry, Charlie Brown, an American, said Nigeria has the largest economy and population in Africa and so the campaign has start here.
He said every country need to do what the European Union has done because every child is important.
Brown stressed that amalgam in dentistry in Edo state phase down should start now.
In her keynote paper presentation, Dr. Joan Enabulele of the School of Dentistry, University of Benin, said there are viable alternatives to dental amalgam.
Enabulele, whose paper centred on “Mercury Free Dentistry: Alternative to amalgam” highlighted the alternatives to dental amalgam, the challenges in Nigeria among other things.
Other papers presented at the workshop include: Minamata Convention: Dental amalgam use in Nigeria by Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya of the Federal Ministry of Environment; Minamata Convention: From commitments to results by Mr. Leslie Adogame of Sustainable Research and Action for Development (SRADev Nigeria); Understanding the role of Dental Health Workers in phasing down dental amalgam by Dr. Sunny Okeigbemen and dental amalgam phase-down in Nigeria: Leveraging partnerships by Dr. Anthony Osaguona.
It would be recalled that the recognition of the negative impacts of mercury on people’s health and the environment led to the adoption and signing of Minamata Treaty by over 128 nations of the world on the 10th October, 2013 at Minamata, Japan.
Nigeria has signed but is yet to ratify and become a party to the convention. However, there are efforts to initiate programmes that will ensure significant reduction in mercury use.