Other Dental Health Concerns Include Mercury and Bisphenol-A

In this survey, we asked dentists how concerned they are about various potential public health threats linked to dentistry. Dentists’ concerns, in order, are:

1. Lead in dental lab work
2. Mercury in amalgam
3. Bisphenol-A in composite, and
4. Fluoride in water supplies.

General dentists had higher levels of concern on all issues than specialists. However, specialists and generalists agreed on the relative dangers of the chemicals covered in this survey.

Dentists’ thoughts

• “I’d like to be doing all gold restorations.” (New Jersey dentist)
• “All four of these need to be totally nailed down as to their safety, or lack thereof.” (Arkansas dentist)
• “Two things that will bite dentistry in the butt are fluoride and amalgam if we don’t stop forcing them on the public.” (Idaho dentist)

Mercury

• “150 years have not proved Amalgam to be dangerous.” (Arkansas dentist)
• “Amalgams have saved billions of teeth!” (Washington dentist)
• “A known toxin, no safe levels, should be banned.” (Louisiana dentist)

Lead

• “Lead in dental casting alloy? Outrageous!” (Colorado dentist)
• “Recent articles have debunked the worry over the amount of lead in ‘farmed-out’ crowns. Still, we need to monitor that work.” (California dentist)

Bisphenol-A (BPA)

• “This stuff is everywhere. Composites without BPA just don’t hold up well.” (Wisconsin dentist)
• “It’s probably not too dangerous, but don’t cast stones, Mr. Composite: you live in a glass house!” (New Jersey dentist)
• “It’s ironic that many patients are removing long tested amalgam and replacing them with bisphenol composites of unproven safety.” (California dentist)

Fluoride

• “It’s been shown to be effective, but we shouldn’t be medicating the whole population.” (Colorado dentist)
• “The best public health measure ever instituted in this country for caries prevention.” (Texas dentist)
• “Known to be toxic.” (California dentist)

Post your thoughts or read the complete dental public health threats survey results