Call to eliminate mercury in dentistry

Health activists on Saturday raised concern over the use of toxic mercury in dentistry. They came up with the demand at a press meet, jointly organised by World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry and Asian Centre for Environmental Health with assistance from Environment and Social Development Organisation, at a restaurant in the capital’s Dhanmondi area. The organisers said use of dental amalgams containing mercury in filling up the decaying teeth pose huge threat to human health as the amalgam eventually break down and release the toxic mercury into the blood, according to a news agency.