February 11, 2018: ‘Rafiza Smart Dental Care’- A dental chamber in the capital city Dhaka got recognition of being mercury-free. This is the second dental chamber that got the ‘Mercury-Free Dental Chamber’ recognition in Bangladesh. Earlier in 28 January, 2018, ESDO and BDS in collaboration with World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry and Asian Center for Environmental Health inaugurated the program as a part of their vibrant campaign to ban mercury from dentistry in Bangladesh. Dr. Alim Al Razee (Aalif), the principal dentist of the dental chamber was provided with a sticker logo denoting ‘Mercury-Free Dental Chamber’ for his chamber.
ESDO in collaboration with BDS started its mercury-free dentistry initiatives in Bangladesh since 2013. In line with this, dental chamber visit and mercury-free dental chamber declaration is an worthwhile approach to encourage dentists for practicing mercury-free dentistry as well as to let people know the best choice for them is mercury-free dental treatment. After visiting a good number of dental chambers in country the mercury-free dental chambers will be awarded certificate through a prestigious ceremony. The main objective of this dental chamber visit initiative is to make an ultimate call for the ban of mercury amalgam in dentistry.
Earlier in 2017, BDS declared and set target to phase out dental mercury amalgam by 2018 in Bangladesh. On may 6, 2017 in a workshop entitled “Mercury-Free Dentistry: Way Forward” this declaration was made.