As you are reading this the FDA is in the middle of an ongoing process to decide on how to classify the controversial chemical BPA (bisphenol A). While they are dealing with those tough decisions, new research continues to pour in. The latest study has just emerged showing that BPA is being found in the saliva of children up to three hours after they receive dental work.
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, led by Philip Landrigan, MD, Professor and Chair of Preventive Medicine, Dean for Global Health, and Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai made the discovery. Their research has now been published in the current issue of Pediatrics. “These dental products are still safe and an effective way to promote good oral health, but dentists should take precautions to reduce potential absorption of this chemical and the negative side effects associated with it,” explained Dr. Landrigan. “BPA is commonly used in dental products, and while exposure from dental materials is much less common than from food storage products, we are still concerned.” BPA has been associated with the early onset of puberty, changes in behavior, as well as prostate and urinary tract development. The researchers added that they do not recommend pregnant mothers expose themselves to the chemical. “Further research is needed to fully grasp the impact of BPA in dental products, and to analyze all dental products that use this chemical,” added Dr. Landrigan. “However, the overwhelming benefit of these dental resins in oral health outweighs the brief exposure to BPA. Dentists should continue to use these products, but manufacturers should disclose specific information about the chemical structures of these products and search for alternatives.”