BPA found in dental sealants

Widely used dental sealants and tooth repair resins contain substances that degrade into the controversial chemical BPA, but dentists can use the product safely in kids if they make sure to wipe or rinse away residue after treatment, a new study concludes. Pregnant women, however, might do better to wait until after delivery, researchers report journal Pediatrics.

In January, federal Food and Drug Administration officials called for more research on the chemical, explaining that the agency had “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate glands of fetuses, infants and children.”

Canada has declared bisphenol A 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. It is widely used to line food and beverage containers, and a recent government report said it was present in the bodies of 91% of Canadians.

A study was published last week in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that Chinese factory workers exposed to high levels of the plastics chemical BPA had low sperm counts, according to the first human study to tie it to poor semen quality. The findings echo studies in animals and follows previous research in the same men that linked BPA exposure with sexual problems.