title: Dentists' perspective about dental amalgam: current use and future direction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reached a binding agreement - a.k.a. the Minamata treaty - to decrease dental amalgam use. This study aims to investigate US dentists' current practice and opinions about amalgam use, and to determine factors affecting their amalgam use and opinions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 45,557 general dentists and 5,101 pediatric dentists were invited to participate in a pre-tested electronic survey. The survey consisted of 12 close-ended questions using a 5-point Likert Scale. The Qualtrics™ software was used to distribute the survey, followed by three reminders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 5.2 percent for general dentists, and 17.6 percent for pediatric dentists. Sixty-two percent of general dentists and 56 percent of pediatric dentists reported using amalgam. Most dentists disagreed with banning amalgam, while agreeing with installing amalgam separators. Environmentally conscious dentists were more likely to agree with banning amalgam and installing amalgam separators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Responding dentists favor the continued use of dental amalgam. Their perspectives vary by several factors including dentists' environmental consciousness. Policies toward minimizing amalgam's environmental impact need to be implemented.
authors.affiliation: Preventive Dental Sciences Department, University of Dammam, College of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Eman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bakhurji
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Thayer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mangione
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Woosung
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sohn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D003723:Dental Amalgam
keywords: dental amalgam; dental health survey; health policy; mercury; underserved population