Correlation between long-term in vivo amalgam restorations and the presence of heavy elements in the dental pulp.

PubMed ID: 24731778

Author(s): Saghiri MA, Banava S, Sabzian MA, Gutmann JL, Asatourian A, Ramezani GH, Garcia-Godoy F, Sheibani N. Correlation between long-term in vivo amalgam restorations and the presence of heavy elements in the dental pulp. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2014 Apr;28(2):200-204. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2014.01.008. Epub 2014 Feb 14. PMID 24731778

Journal: Journal Of Trace Elements In Medicine And Biology : Organ Of The Society For Minerals And Trace Elements (Gms), Volume 28, Issue 2, Apr 2014

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.