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Risk Assessment of Mercury Exposure from Dental Amalgams *
Author(s) -
Reinhardt John W.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1988.tb03188.x
Subject(s) - amalgam (chemistry) , mercury (programming language) , medicine , mercury exposure , dentistry , risk assessment , dental restoration , environmental health , computer science , chemistry , computer security , electrode , gold mining , programming language
Much attention is being focused upon the issue of mercury exposure from dental amalgam restorations and the potential for adverse health effects. This controversy has grown beyond the confines of the dental profession itself and is becoming an emotional public health issue. In hope of regaining good health, many dental patients with chronic systemic diseases are considering replacement of their amalgams. Dentists are increasingly being challenged to prove the safety of amalgams. Recently, systematic methods have been established for quantitative evaluation of environmental risks. This study brings together the quantitative methodologies of risk assessment and the knowledge of mercury exposure from dental amalgams to estimate the safety of dental amalgam restorative therapy. Analysis concludes that the margin of safety for mercury toxicity in humans from dental amalgams is approximately 8‐to 30‐fold. There are many uncertainties involved in this estimate, and further studies are warranted to improve its precision.