Mohammad Ali Saghiri1, Sepideh Banava2, Mohamad Amin Sabzian2, James L Gutmann3, Armen Asatourian4, Golam H Ramezani5, Franklin Garcia-Godoy6, Nader Sheibani7. 1. Department of Dental Material, Dental School, Azad University (Tehran Branch), Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: saghiri@gmail.com. 2. Department of Dental Material, Dental School, Azad University (Tehran Branch), Tehran, Iran. 3. Department of Restorative Sciences, Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, Dallas, TX, USA. 4. Kamal Asgar Research Center (KARC), Tehran, Iran. 5. Department of Pedodontist, Azad University (Tehran Branch), Tehran, Iran. 6. Bioscience Research Center, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA. 7. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
Abstract
PROJECT: To measure the levels of heavy metals (Hg, Sn) in the dental pulp and blood samples of patients with long-term amalgam restorations. PROCEDURE: 12 amalgam restored and 12 non-restored, sound teeth were chosen and access cavity preparation to the pulp chamber was made. The contents were transferred and dissolved in 5mL of concentrated nitric acid followed by placement in an oven at 180°C for tissue digestion. After cooling the tubes each digested sample was transferred to an atomic absorption system to measure the levels of heavy metals. The blood samples of five patients in each group were randomly analyzed to determine the levels of these heavy metals in the blood and if there were a correlation between these levels in blood and pulp. Data were analyzed by t-test at a P<0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: No significant difference was seen between the levels of Hg and Sn in pulp tissues (P>0.05); however, the blood analysis showed higher level of Hg amalgam group (P=0.009). The analysis between the pulp and blood samples showed positive correlations for both Hg and Sn elements in dental pulp and the blood (P=1.000) (P=0.900). CONCLUSIONS: The long-term presence of dental amalgam (at least 5 years) did not result in any remarkable changes in the levels of mercury and tin in the pulp tissue; however, there were increases in the level of mercury in the blood circulation even five years following the placement of the restoration.
PROJECT: To measure the levels of heavy metals (Hg, Sn) in the dental pulp and blood samples of patients with long-term amalgam restorations. PROCEDURE: 12 amalgam restored and 12 non-restored, sound teeth were chosen and access cavity preparation to the pulp chamber was made. The contents were transferred and dissolved in 5mL of concentrated nitric acid followed by placement in an oven at 180°C for tissue digestion. After cooling the tubes each digested sample was transferred to an atomic absorption system to measure the levels of heavy metals. The blood samples of five patients in each group were randomly analyzed to determine the levels of these heavy metals in the blood and if there were a correlation between these levels in blood and pulp. Data were analyzed by t-test at a P<0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: No significant difference was seen between the levels of Hg and Sn in pulp tissues (P>0.05); however, the blood analysis showed higher level of Hg amalgam group (P=0.009). The analysis between the pulp and blood samples showed positive correlations for both Hg and Sn elements in dental pulp and the blood (P=1.000) (P=0.900). CONCLUSIONS: The long-term presence of dental amalgam (at least 5 years) did not result in any remarkable changes in the levels of mercury and tin in the pulp tissue; however, there were increases in the level of mercury in the blood circulation even five years following the placement of the restoration.
Authors: María Eugenia Cabaña-Muñoz; José María Parmigiani-Izquierdo; Luis Alberto Bravo-González; Hee-Moon Kyung; José Joaquín Merino Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-06-15 Impact factor: 3.240