Countries agreed Friday to phase out the use of mercury-based dental amalgams in tooth fillings by 2034, in a move that will change dentistry around the world.

At a conference in Geneva, signatories to a treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from mercury pollution called time on mercury amalgams.

Nations agreed "to end the use of dental amalgam by 2034, marking a historic milestone in reducing mercury pollution", the conference announced in its closing statement .

The World Health Organization considers mercury one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern , calling it "toxic to human health".

Some countries have already banned its use in dental amalgam, a common filling material used for more than 175 years.

The Minamata Convention on Merc

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