A dose-dependent relationship between mercury exposure from dental amalgams and urinary mercury levels: a further assessment of the Casa Pia Children’s Dental Amalgam Trial

Dental amalgams are a commonly used dental restorative material, and amalgams are about 50% mercury (Hg). In our study, urinary Hg levels was examined in children of age 8–18 years, with and without dental amalgam fillings, from a completed clinical trial (parent study) that was designed to evaluate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human & experimental toxicology 2012-01, Vol.31 (1), p.11-17
Main Authors: Geier, DA, Carmody, T, Kern, JK, King, PG, Geier, MR
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Child
Children & youth
Dental Amalgam - pharmacokinetics
Dental Amalgam - therapeutic use
Dental caries
Dental Caries - therapy
Dental Caries - urine
Dental Restoration, Permanent
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Female
Human exposure
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Mercury
Mercury - urine
Metals and various inorganic compounds
Toxicity
Toxicology
Urinalysis
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Summary:Dental amalgams are a commonly used dental restorative material, and amalgams are about 50% mercury (Hg). In our study, urinary Hg levels was examined in children of age 8–18 years, with and without dental amalgam fillings, from a completed clinical trial (parent study) that was designed to evaluate the potential health consequences of prolonged exposure to Hg from dental amalgam fillings. Our study was designed to determine whether there was a significant dose-dependent correlation between increasing Hg exposure from dental amalgams and urinary Hg levels. Hg exposure depends on the size and number of teeth with dental amalgams. Overall, consistent with the results observed in the parent study, there was a statistically significant dose-dependent correlation between cumulative exposure to Hg from dental amalgams and urinary Hg levels, after covariate adjustment. Further, it was observed that urinary Hg levels increased by 18% to 52% among 8 to 18 year old individuals, respectively, with an average exposure to amalgams, in comparison to study subjects with no exposure to amalgams. The results of our study suggest that dental amalgams contribute to ongoing Hg exposure in a dose-dependent fashion.
ISSN:0960-3271
1477-0903
DOI:10.1177/0960327111417264