The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has urged state Medicaid directors to phase out the use of dental fillings that contain mercury.
The agency has encouraged states to restrict or end their Medicaid coverage for dental procedure codes for “dental amalgams,” according to a July 22 news release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The FDA published evidence showing mercury exposure from dental amalgam can lead to increased health risks, including adverse effects in the brain and the kidney.
In May 2025, more than 150 dentists, dental hygienists and other oral health professionals wrote a letter to HHS, asking the federal government to end mercury-based dental fillings.
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