There are 269 Dental Colleges25 and 80,000 Dental Clinics26 functioning in India
where mercury is routinely used for various dental procedures but there is general lack of
awareness about its ill effects on human health among people. Very little information is
available currently on the measures adopted at various dental colleges and clinics
countrywide in India, to reduce and prevent mercury burden. The purpose of this
systematic review is to sensitize the people handling mercury during dental procedures,
and to initiate the process of chalking out strategies to manage this hazardous waste.
Relevant studies published between 1992 and 2011were reviewed in this paper.