Poisoning From Dental Laboratory Chemicals & Dust

There are numerous toxic substances in the average dental lab.

Dental labs use a variety of products and substances to create crowns, dentures, molds, amalgams and bridges. Some of these substances are toxic and others cause allergic reactions in certain individuals.

Gold

Gold is mixed with silver, copper, palladium, platinum and zinc to create different dental appliances in labs. Contact with gold and gold salts as well as other metals has caused reactions in dermatitis patients. These kinds of metals can also cause toxic conditions in pregnant women.

Mercury

There have been multiple documented cases of high levels of mercury in dental workers due to the mercury vapor released by amalgam fillings. Cutting, filling and polishing amalgam releases more mercury, causing the levels in dental workers to be higher than recommended. Particularly large mercury concentrations are found in the pituitary gland and renal cortex. These exposures have been shown to cause severe disorders among dental personnel.

Silicosis

Dental technicians are at known risk for silicosis, which occurs due to inhaling silica dust or quartz dust. Pneumoconiosis is the general name for lung diseases caused by inhaling dust and there are several kinds of dusts produced in a dental lab that seem to lead to this disease.

Other Chemicals

Other chemicals found in dental labs most often cause dermatological complaints, but occasionally other types are reported. Some items that cause reactions which are used by dental lab workers are iodine, tricresol and eugenol, as well as methylmethacrylate, resin-based catalysts and epoxy-based materials.

References

• Peter Frosch, Torkol Menne, Jean Pierre Lepoittevin: "Contact Dermatitis"
• Gottfried Schmalz, Dorthe Arenholt-Bindslev: "Biocompatibility of Dental Materials"
• J Wiley: Occupational Risks in Dental Laboratory Technicians
• Pub Med: Composition and Production Rate of Solid Waste From Dental Laboratories in Xanthi, Greece