A study in the October Journal of Pediatrics assesses Bisphenol A exposures from dental materials.
BPA is a synthetic chemical resin used in plastics. In dentistry, its derivatives—bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate and bisphenol A dimethacrylate—can be found in resin-based dental sealants and composites. BPA is rarely used as an ingredient in dental materials but may be present as a by-product of other ingredients in dental composites or sealants that may have degraded, and as a trace material leftover from the manufacture of other ingredients used in dental composites or sealants.
The exposure to BPA from sealants is about 200 times lower than the level EPA considers safe. The EPA level is based on daily exposure. The measurable exposure to BPA from sealants occurs one time—at the time of placement.
While the quantity and duration of systemic BPA absorption was not clear from the available data, the authors concluded that BPA exposure may be minimized by cleaning and rinsing surfaces of sealants and composites immediately after placement.
“On the basis of the proven benefits of resin-based dental materials and the brevity of BPA exposure, we recommend continued use with strict adherence to precautionary application techniques,” they wrote.
For more information about Bisphenol A or to see the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs statement, visit www.ada.org/1766.aspx.
