“Since 1 January 2025, dental amalgam can only be used in Northern Ireland for patients living in the United Kingdom,” the British Dental Association reminds practices. That single line has shaped day‑to‑day dentistry on both sides of the border all year.

DEFRA has now put the position on a statutory footing. The Control of Mercury (Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 were made on 12 November and come into force on 3 December 2025, updating the 2017 regime and giving customs officials powers to help police new import and export restrictions in Northern Ireland.

The law plugs Northern Ireland into the latest EU mercury rules under the Windsor Framework while spelling out NI‑specific enforcement. In practice it confirms a ban on exporting dental amalgam from NI, and-after 31 December 2034-the import ban will also bite for routine use. Until then, imports can support treatment of UK residents under defined conditions.

Why now? Brussels has already moved. EU Regulation 2024/1849 bans the use of dental amalgam for most patients from 1 January 2025, prohibits exports from the same date and stops import and manufacturing from 1 July 2026, save for strictly necessary clinical exceptions.

Crucially for Northern Ireland, the European Commission’s notice under the Windsor Framework accepts continued use and import of amalgam in NI for UK residents until 31 December 2034, provided tight safeguards are in place, including no manufacturing in NI after 1 July 2026 and no onward sales into the EU.

From 3 December, HMRC officers can assist with enforcement at ports. After 1 July 2026, any amalgam sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is treated as “category 1 goods”, triggering the full set of formalities. For practice owners used to quick orders, that means extra paperwork and tighter scrutiny of volumes.

Front‑of‑house rules are simple but important. BDA guidance says a UK home address can be taken as proof of residency; non‑UK residents cannot receive amalgam in NI and Health Service claims for alternatives should go through discretionary fee code 4001 with prior approval. Practices are urged to update protocols accordingly.

There’s new back‑office work too. Importers and (where relevant) manufacturers must report the amounts of amalgam they bring in, and NI authorities must file yearly summaries to the European Commission, covering imports, usage and steps taken to reduce reliance on amalgam.

Dentists have warned for months that rapid change without support risks widening access gaps. The BDA highlighted that Northern Ireland historically used amalgam in a high share of fillings and cautioned that sudden supply shocks and higher material costs could strain already stretched services.

Officials point to the environmental case. The EU’s revised mercury regime is part of a push towards zero pollution, and it includes work on crematoria abatement alongside restrictions on products. Campaigners in Britain have pressed for a UK‑wide end date after fresh data on mercury in rivers and seafood.

There is now a global timeline. At COP‑6 of the Minamata Convention in Geneva on 7 November 2025, countries agreed to add dental amalgam to Annex A, setting a 2034 phase‑out for manufacture, import and export, with a narrow clinical exception. That date dovetails with the Commission’s NI guidance.

For clinics, the takeaway is practical. Keep residency checks tight, talk to suppliers about post‑July 2026 movements, document stocks and imports, and ramp up alternatives training. For patients, amalgam remains available in Northern Ireland until the end of 2034 if you live in the UK-after that, expect mercury‑free as standard.