An international scientific exchange forum on amalgam safety is also under consideration. The meeting focused on the policies of individual countries regarding amalgam use, as well their scientific basis and legal standing. Participants at the meeting generally agreed that the scientific literature has not revealed evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to dental amalgam for the vast majority of people. Nevertheless, policy differences do exist. Countries implementing or contemplating restrictions on amalgam use are doing so based on environmental concerns or as a preventive action against theoretically possible adverse health effects.
Efforts are underway to continue the dialogue begun in Berlin.
The Subcommittee on Dental Amalgam was renamed in 1996 as the Working Group on Dental Amalgam.