Dentsply ‘could benefit from FDA mercury decision’

Dentsply could benefit from a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision regarding mercury dental fillings, it has been suggested.

News agency Reuters said that the company was one of a number of different types of organisation within the sector that could reap rewards from the body’s verdict.

The FDA’s decision on the dental aids reverses an earlier caution about their use in certain patients, such as children and pregnant women.

Citing an industry review of around 200 scientific studies, the regulatory body said that the levels of mercury released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to harm patients.

“The FDA’s decision could impact makers of metal fillings, which include Dentsply International Inc and Danaher Corp’s unit Kerr, as well as distributors such as Henry Schein,” Reuters concluded.

Earlier this month, Dentsply announced that Francis Lunger, a member of its board, has joined the private equity firm Linden.