Dear Restoratives Insider,
In this issue, DrBicuspid.com takes a look at a soon-to-be-released report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (U.N.) regarding their goals of reducing the use of dental amalgam around the globe.
The report comes out of a 2009 meeting on the issue at WHO's Geneva headquarters and sets the stage for a follow-up meeting in 2013, where the WHO is expected to begin establishing legally binding parameters for dental amalgam. The U.N. Environmental Progamme would like to see an outright ban, but is such a law plausible? Read more in our latest Restoratives Insider Exclusive.
The city council of Costa Mesa, CA, probably would applaud if it is. The city recently became the first in the U.S. to call for a ban on dental amalgam usage and is urging the federal government to do the same. Meanwhile, the California Dental Association is working with officials in Costa Mesa to increase their understanding of dental amalgam, calling the city's legislation "troubling."
A new report submitted by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- which will review its position on dental amalgam next week during a two-day public hearing -- seems to support Costa Mesa's position, warning that mercury from dental amalgam restorations is putting millions of Americans at risk. Learn how many reportedly exceed the reference exposure level for mercury by clicking here.
Meanwhile, Canada has declared bisphenol A (BPA) to be a toxic chemical, prompting calls for far-reaching curbs on the industrial chemical that is used in everything from the linings of aluminum cans to coatings on electronic till receipts -- and dental sealants.
And in a related op-ed piece, Alvin Arzt, DDS, wonders: Given published research connecting BPA to a host of ailments, would you feel comfortable using root canal sealants containing this compound when treating family members? Read more.
In other news, the propofol shortage has been an ongoing problem for dental professionals and the greater medical community for more than a year. How did one of the most favored anesthetics in medicine end up in such short supply? Find out by clicking here.
And a new clinical resource guide from the American Association of Endodontists has set a goal for practitioners: endodontics instead of extraction. Find out how its publication will assist dental professionals in their decision-making process for which treatment to pursue by clicking here.
Finally, direct composite buildups provide a high-quality, long-lasting approach to recontouring teeth and closing diastemas, and offer some impressive survival rates, according to a recent study in the Journal of Dentistry.
