Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition No. 4, 2015

By DTI BRUSSELS, Belgium: Many coun- tries around the world, European countries in particular, have seen a shift away from the use of dental amalgaminoralhealthcareandan increase in the use of alternative materials over the past years. The European Commission recently acknowledged this trend and pub- lished an updated version of its opinion on the safety of dental amalgam and alternative restora- tion materials. The new document is an update of the 2008 opinion and aims to assess the safety and effectiveness of dental amalgam and current alternativematerialsbyevaluating the latest scientific evidence. While in 2008 the European Commission and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks con- cluded that both types of material are generally considered safe to use, they now recommend that the choice of material be based on patient characteristics. In accor- dance with the objectives of the MinamataConventiononMercury, the committee now recommends using alternative materials in chil- dren and pregnant women. The committee further stated thatthesystemiceffectsofelemen- tary mercury are well documented and it has been identified as a neurotoxin,especiallyduringearly brain development by a number of studies. Mercury has also been associated with adverse health ef- fects in the digestive and immune systems, and in the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes. Nevertheless, the evidence for such effects due to dental amalgam is weak, according to the committee. The new recommendation is also based on the findings that dental amalgam fillings may cause mercury poisoning in genetically susceptible populations. Some genetic variants appear to impart increased susceptibility to mer- cury toxicity from dental amal- gam. Studies involving dental health care personnel have indicated that mercury exposure from dental amalgam during placement and removal may cause or contribute to many chronic illnesses, as well as depression, anxiety and suicide. However,exposureofbothpatients anddentalpersonnelcouldbemin- imised by the use of appropriate clinical techniques, the committee stated in its opinion report. However, current evidence does not preclude the use of either amalgam or alternative materials in dental restorative treatment. The committee acknowledged that there is a need for further re- search, particularly with regard to neurotoxicity of mercury from dental amalgam and the effect of genetic polymorphisms on mer- cury toxicity. In addition, the committee concluded that there is a need for the development of new alternative materials with a high degree of biocompatibility. The full report, titled“The safety of dental amalgam and alternative dental restoration materials for patientsandusers”,canbeaccessed on the website of the Scientific CommitteeonEmergingandNewly Identified Health Risks. Frankfurt am Main, 17–20 November 2015 formnext.com International exhibition and conference on additive technologies and tool making Innovations. Impulses. Inspiration. The world’s leading companies in additive manufacturing technologies and highly specialized tool-making will show you their expertise at formnext powered by tct. Discover how additive technologies can be intelligently combined with conventional procedures in product development and production, and how you can use innovative processes to reduce your time to market even further. New potential across the entire manufacturing process is waiting to be discovered by you. We are looking forward to seeing you! Where ideas take shape. Information: +49 711 61946-825 formnext@mesago.com Follow us on Social Media @formnext_expo #formnext15 Get your free ticket here: formnext.com/tickets AD Update on dentalamalgam guidelines European Commission recommends use of alternative materials for ﬁllings Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 4/2015 DTUK0415_07_Amalgam 15.09.15 15:51 Seite 1 +4971161946-825 DTUK0415_07_Amalgam 15.09.1515:51 Seite 1

Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition No. 4, 2015

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