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CHAMPIONS GATE, Fla., Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) strongly endorses a historic directive from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling on every State Medicaid Director to restrict or end coverage for mercury-containing dental fillings, also known as dental amalgams.

IAOMT President Douglas Green, DDS, stated: “We urge every State Medicaid Director to fully embrace this historic announcement and implement the phase-out without delay, as it will have a positive impact on the health of millions of Americans.” Dr. Green continued: “Mercury levels generated during both amalgam placement and removal routinely exceed occupational safety limits. If the goal of the government is to reduce mercury exposure, then the safe removal of existing amalgam fillings must also be considered whenever removal is needed.”

The HHS directive marks a complete about-face from prior government policy. For the first time, the federal government has openly acknowledged that mercury fillings should not be placed in people’s mouths and that taxpayer dollars should no longer support this outdated and hazardous material.

“Mercury has no place in the mouths of our children or in modern American health care,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The IAOMT wholeheartedly agrees. Scientific evidence has long shown elevated risks for pregnant women, children under the age of six, people with neurological diseases or impaired kidney function, and other vulnerable groups. Safe and effective mercury-free alternatives, including resin-based composite materials, have been widely available for decades.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz emphasized that Americans should feel confident their health care prioritizes safety. The HHS notification encourages State Medicaid programs to restrict or end coverage for amalgam procedure codes and instead incentivize composite fillings. This decisive step advances the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda and supports United States commitments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which calls for a global phase-out of dental amalgam by 2034.

For more than four decades the IAOMT has documented how amalgam fillings continuously release toxic mercury vapor, creating unnecessary toxic exposure for patients, dental professionals, and the environment.

Because safe mercury removal requires additional time, equipment, and protocols that are not currently reimbursed under standard dental codes, the IAOMT urges HHS and the states to recognize mercury-safe removal as the standard of care and to ensure that the extra protections are not left solely as an out-of-pocket burden — especially for Medicaid patients.

The IAOMT’s Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART) provides the protective protocols needed to minimize exposure during these procedures. Building on this commitment to safety, the IAOMT calls on State Medicaid programs, private insurers, and the entire dental profession to complete the transition to mercury-free dentistry without delay.

Founded in 1984, the IAOMT is a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating and promoting biocompatible, science-based dental practices that protect human health and the environment. Learn more at www.iaomt.org.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a620b69-cc19-4ac6-9d3c-ac4a1a607b32

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a008111-4774-4570-aee9-2d721427a852

A video accompanying this announcement is available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b4f332e-c66c-4c42-b2be-8dcd5e1913a3

CONTACT: IAOMT
Executive Director Kym Smith
info@iaomt.org