Which fillings are available after the amalgam ban?

What has applied since the amalgam ban?

Regulation (EU) 2024/1849 changed the EU rules on mercury. Since 1 January 2025, dental amalgam may no longer be used for dental treatment in the EU.

There is one exception: a dentist may still use amalgam if they consider it strictly necessary because of the patient's specific medical needs.

The reason given for the ban is environmental protection, as mercury is a global environmental problem. According to the regulation, mercury-free alternatives are now technically feasible and readily available.

Do old amalgam fillings have to be removed?

No. The ban only applies to new fillings. According to the German health insurer BARMER, existing intact amalgam fillings are not affected.

Intact fillings should not be removed without a reason, because replacing them can release mercury.

Your dentist can see at your regular check-up whether an old filling is still in good condition.

Which fillings can be used instead of amalgam?

Which material is right depends, among other things, on how large the cavity is and where the tooth is. These materials are common:

• Composite: a tooth-coloured resin that is placed in layers and hardened. It is durable and also suitable for back teeth.
• Glass ionomer cement: matt white, bonds well to the tooth and slowly releases fluoride. It is mainly used for small to medium-sized defects in back teeth or at the neck of the tooth.
• Ceramic inlay: made to fit precisely from an impression. Ceramic is hard-wearing and withstands the chewing pressure on back teeth.
• Gold inlay: well tolerated, precisely fitting and strong.

According to BARMER, ceramic inlays last eight to ten years on average, and gold inlays 15 years or more.

At our practice, ceramic inlays are made in a dental laboratory. This takes two appointments.

What does health insurance pay for in Austria?

The fees for amalgam-free fillings are agreed between the Austrian Dental Chamber and each health insurance fund. The rules therefore differ from fund to fund.

According to the Austrian Dental Chamber, glass ionomer cements and alkasites have been covered filling materials for people insured with KFA Wien since 1 April 2025. Composite in back teeth remains a private service there.

There is also a fee agreement with BVAEB. According to the Carinthian Dental Chamber, an agreement with ÖGK (Austrian Health Insurance Fund) was still pending at the end of 2025.

Your health insurance fund can tell you what currently applies to you.

How is billing handled at our practice?

Stella Dent is a private practice (Wahlarzt). We bill SVS and KFA directly.

With other funds, you first pay the invoice yourself and then submit it to your fund. According to gesundheit.gv.at, you will then be reimbursed 80 per cent of the amount your fund would have paid a contracted dentist for the same treatment.

Before any treatment, we provide a cost estimate. This way you know in advance which material is planned and what it will cost.