The other place bisphenol A lurks: our teeth

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The other place bisphenol A lurks: our teeth

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Health Canada says the BPA in dental fillings doesn't appear hazardous, but

that hasn't stopped people from worrying

 

CARLY WEEKS

 

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

 

April 24, 2008 at 8:45 AM EDT

 

Just when they thought they could breathe easy after years of controversy

concerning mercury-based fillings, dentists are finding themselves at the

centre of a new debate over the safety of the alternatives.

 

An increasing number of dentists are using sealants and fillings that may

expose patients to bisphenol A, a chemical the federal government said last

week is potentially dangerous and will be banned from use in plastic baby

bottles. BPA is a hormone disruptor that can mimic estrogen, and some research

has

linked it to health consequences, including early puberty in girls, breast

and prostate cancer, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

 

Some studies have found detectable levels of BPA in the saliva of patients

after they received sealants or fillings, but experts are divided as to

whether this low exposure constitutes a health risk.

 

Dental associations are rushing to defend the use of the materials, saying

patients' exposure to BPA appears to be low and limited to the period

immediately after treatment.

 

Toronto dentist Ken Wolch says he avoids exposing his patients to bisphenol

A. 'If you can do without toxins, why not do without toxins?' he says. (Fred

Lum/The Globe and Mail)

 

" We're a small part of what is perhaps a much larger problem, " said Darryl

Smith, whose tenure as president of the Canadian Dental Association ended last

weekend. " The amount of bisphenol A is extremely low in dental materials and

in some [it] is non-existent. "

 

Health Canada said the link between BPA and dental materials doesn't appear

hazardous and that no action is required to limit exposure. But some

Canadians are questioning whether a substance the government has identified as

a

potential health risk should be used in their mouths, even if exposure is

limited.

 

" Patients are asking about it. Patients are as concerned about it as we

are, " said Ken Wolch, a Toronto dentist who specializes in " biocompatible " and

holistic procedures.

 

BPA is a widely used substance commonly found in plastic containers, baby

bottles and the lining of metal food cans. But derivatives of BPA, such as

bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate, are also used to make some dental sealants

and

filling materials that are increasingly used as a substitute for

mercury-based amalgam fillings.

 

Dr. Wolch said he is concerned over exposing patients to BPA and uses

alternatives whenever possible.

 

" If you can do without toxins, why not do without toxins? " he said. " If I

can do it safely and I don't have to jeopardize the integrity of the product

that I'm putting in someone's mouth, I can do it just as well without bisphenol

A. "

 

Dr. Smith said even though there's no health risk, the industry is looking

at ways to eliminate or reduce the chemical's presence in response to growing

concern from patients.

 

" I think it's important to recognize the issue has been out there for a few

years. It's something that dentistry, the dental industry in particular, the

manufacturers have been responding to, " he said.

 

But Alastair Nicoll, president of the British Columbia Dental Association,

said derivatives of BPA are still the most common ingredient in sealants and

fillings because alternatives such as porcelain don't work as well and aren't

as practical.

 

One of the studies Health Canada consulted on BPA in dental materials was

paid for by the American Dental Association, which has long defended the use of

bisphenol A-based dental sealants and fillings to prevent tooth decay.

 

Another study Health Canada consulted, published in the Journal of the

American Dental Association in 2006, found some dental products leach BPA and

could result in low-dose exposures within the range in which health effects

have

been seen in rodents.

 

The department's screening assessment didn't mention one of the first pieces

of research that brought into question the safety of dental materials made

with BPA. A 1996 study by Spanish researcher Nicolas Olea found detectable

levels of BPA in young people immediately after they received dental sealants.

 

Regardless of how low the exposure level may be, BPA is a toxic substance

that shouldn't be used in any consumer products, according to Aaron Freeman,

policy director at Environmental Defence, a group that has long advocated

restrictions on use of the substance.

 

" We have over 150 peer-reviewed studies illustrating toxic effects

associated with [bPA], " Mr. Freeman said. " This isn't something that we should

be

putting in any products, let alone something that's going in our mouths. "

 

Article found at:

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[Guest guest]

It's what we need doctors and dentists questioning the use of NEW

chemicals. Bravo!