Evironmental impact of direct dental restorative materials :amalgam versus resin composite Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Evironmental impact of direct dental restorative materials :amalgam versus resin composite Deck (12)
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1
Q

Describe the Minamata convention on mercury (2013) .

A
  • Environmentally driven
  • Global phase down (was out) of dental amalgam
  • Estimated 270 – 341 metric tonnes Hg globally derived from dental amalgam use. : This equates to approx. 20% of global mercury consumption for products
2
Q

what is use of dental amalgam no longer allowed for?

A
  • children under 15 years old
  • pregnant women
  • breastfeeding women
  • EXCEPT when deemed strictly necessary by the dental practitioner based on the specific medical needs of the patient
3
Q

what is the Scottish dental clinical effective program guidance on dental amalgam?

A

restrictions aim to help reduce environmental mercury pollution and are not as a result of any safety concerns about amalgam fillings for dental patients
Dental amalgam is the only suitable material despite the environmental concerns and so the dentist may advice amalgam filling

4
Q

what is mercury released from?

A
  • Natural events – Volcanic eruptions
  • Anthropogenic – industrial processes, coal combustion, dental treatment
  • And accumulates as sediment finding way into water ways
5
Q

why do we need to protect environment by reducing mercury use?

A

Methylate Hg into methylmercury:
• Highly toxic
• Gives access to food web for use by low order organisms
• Scope for biomagnification in predatory long‐lived fish e.g. Tuna that consumed by Humans

6
Q

Name potential environmental pollution routes.

A
  • Atmosphere and Water from dental practices
  • Internment/Cremation of bodies with amalgam restorations
  • Chewing/masticationoffoods
7
Q

How are these routes reduced?

A

• These may be reduced by:

  • Dental Unit traps & amalgam separators
  • Safe and regulated disposal of waste amalgam
  • Incorporation of Selenium filters into chimneys of crematoria.
8
Q

Discuss environmental costs of burial.

A

89% of coffins are chipboard veneer
• Contains formaldehyde that also used in embalming
• Leaches out into groundwater
• Energy required to make or alternatively may be consumed if using a concrete vault.

9
Q

Discuss environmental costs of cremation.

A
  • Energy – 285 KWh gas and 15 KWh electricity
  • Generates Carbon Dioxide equivalent to a car journey of 800 Kilometers
  • Approximately 16% of mercury in the air is from dental amalgams
10
Q

Discuss potential environmental pollution concerns of resin composite.

A

Bisphenol A:
• Mimics oestrogen (said to be at concentration of no risk in composites)
• Currently a small contributor to overall environmental pollution.

11
Q

how do resin composites enter the environment?

A
  • Manufacture
  • Burial of those with composite restorations
  • Disposal of out of date materials from dental practice that end up in landfill
  • ALSO consider at placement microparticulate/microplastic pollution cf. Shower gel beads : enter food chain, ingested by fish and eaten by humans.
12
Q

Name potential effects of bisphenol A.

A
  • Genital tract abnormality
  • Childhood obesity
  • Infertility
  • Increased incidence of breast cancer