Further new consultation on amalgam launched in Europe
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- Published: Wednesday, 15 October 2014 07:45
- Written by News Editor
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One of the European Commission's (EC) top scientific bodies, the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), is calling for public comment on a new report in which it largely downplays concerns about exposure to mercury in dental amalgam while saying that further study is needed. The report was opened for public comment on 9 September 2014, is similar to its 2008 report.
In 2008, SCENIHR issued a report on dental amalgam, which concluded that there was "no scientific evidence for risks of adverse systemic effects," and that "the current use of dental amalgam does not pose a risk of systemic disease." But the report also noted a lack of data and a need for further study, so in 2012 SCENIHR opened up a "call for information" regarding a reassessment of dental amalgam. Among the committee's concerns was whether dental amalgam is in fact safer for use in patients than its emerging alternatives, which SCENIHR said had not been extensively studied.
The new report also cautions against avoiding dental amalgam products in favour of the use of alternatives, such as resin-based composites, glass ionomer cements, ceramics and gold alloys. Some alternative materials can release bisphenol A, which is known to also cause "negligible risk" in patients, the report adds. Other materials have not been subject to rigorous study.
The report concludes that current evidence “does not preclude the use of either amalgam or alternative materials in dental restorative treatment,” but that further study should be undertaken to evaluate the neurotoxic effect of dental amalgam and the potential toxicity of alternative materials.
One of the European Commission's (EC) top scientific bodies, the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), is calling for public comment on a new report in which it largely downplays concerns about exposure to mercury in dental amalgam while saying that further study is needed. The report was opened for public comment on 9 September 2014, is similar to its 2008 report.
In 2008, SCENIHR issued a report on dental amalgam, which concluded that there was "no scientific evidence for risks of adverse systemic effects," and that "the current use of dental amalgam does not pose a risk of systemic disease." But the report also noted a lack of data and a need for further study, so in 2012 SCENIHR opened up a "call for information" regarding a reassessment of dental amalgam. Among the committee's concerns was whether dental amalgam is in fact safer for use in patients than its emerging alternatives, which SCENIHR said had not been extensively studied.
The new report also cautions against avoiding dental amalgam products in favour of the use of alternatives, such as resin-based composites, glass ionomer cements, ceramics and gold alloys. Some alternative materials can release bisphenol A, which is known to also cause "negligible risk" in patients, the report adds. Other materials have not been subject to rigorous study.
The report concludes that current evidence “does not preclude the use of either amalgam or alternative materials in dental restorative treatment,” but that further study should be undertaken to evaluate the neurotoxic effect of dental amalgam and the potential toxicity of alternative materials.
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