Yet Another Downside to BPA-Laced Sealants

Sealants are done by placing a thin layer of composite as a protective coating for tooth enamel – for once it’s damaged, enamel cannot grow back. In fact, it’s the only tissue in your body that can’t regenerate itself. (You can remineralize the dentin it protects, but once enamel is gone, it’s gone.) Unfortunately, composite …

First, Do No Harm…

From time to time, we invoke the phrase “first, do no harm,” commonly attributed to the Hippocratic Oath. But if you want to get strict about such things, this isn’t really accurate. In fact, nothing like the phrase occurs in the modern version, though the classical includes a promise to keep “the sick” from “harm …

Strange Faith (or Mercury vs. BPA?, Part 2)

Two years ago, Pediatrics published a study on “Bisphenol A and Related Compounds in Dental Materials,” which confirmed that some sealants and composite (white) fillings release BPA. Here’s what one pediatric dentist and dental professor had to say about it at the time: People shouldn’t be scared by this….The amount of exposure is extremely low. …

Divorcing the Mouth from the Body

Originally posted 7 August 2009 Late last month, an article published in the Journal of Dental Research by P. Hujoel of the University of Washington School of Dentistry got a notable bit of media coverage. Most of it focused on the fact that – as the article noted and one headline put it – “diets …

On the State of the State’s Kids’ Teeth (& the News Ain’t So Great)

Recently, the Pew Charitable Trusts released their latest report card on children’s dental health Maryland came out on top, meeting seven of Pew’s eight benchmarks, followed by Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and South Carolina, which each met six. Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Montana and New Jersey all rated F, meeting two or fewer marks. And …

Divorcing the Mouth from the Body

Late last month, an article published in the Journal of Dental Research by P. Hujoel of the University of Washington School of Dentistry got a notable bit of media coverage. Most of it focused on the fact that – as the article noted and one headline put it – “diets bad for [the] teeth [are] …

Health Risks from Dental Sealants

Mrs Hilksom/Flickr It’s funny what gets passed off as “preventive dentistry” for kids. Brushing, flossing, good nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits seem to be considered much too hard to instill in children. So instead, dentists turn to things like fluoride treatments, even though fluoride is a known neurotoxin, and sealants, even though they contain BPA …