Matters of the teeth

Bisphenol A (BPA), a potentially toxic compound, gets into patients' saliva and urine when composite resin restorations are placed on their teeth, a new study suggests from the December issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. Researchers found that on average, patients had 43% more BPA in their urine 30 hours after a restoration was placed than they did before getting the restoration. However, they could not draw any conclusions about the safety of composite resin, which is the most widely used filling material in the United States, if not the world.

BPA mimics estrogen activity, and studies have shown that it can disrupt endocrine function. In addition, some epidemiological studies have shown that people with greater exposure to the compound are more likely to suffer illness.

On another note, dental professionals may want to consider whether their patients have adequate vitamin D levels when assessing them for caries, according to a new study from Nutrition Reviews. Vitamin D supplements were associated with a 47% reduction in risk for caries, according to researchers.

Vitamin D has long been known to play a role in tooth formation, but some researchers have theorized that it might have additional benefits in reducing caries through either antimicrobial or immunological effects.