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Abstract of the Article

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Survey of Mercury Concentration in Operative Dentists from Tehran City: Effect of Age, Gender, Years of Practice, Specialty and number of amalgam fillings

Authors:
[ Abbas Esmaili-sari ] - Associate Proffesor of Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University
[ Ghasem Zolfaghari ] - M.Sc of Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University
[ Seyed Mahmoud Ghasempouri ] - Instructor of Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University
[ Seyed Shojaldin Shaegh ] - Assistant Proffesor, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahed University

Abstract:

Amalgam has been in use as a dental restorative material for over 150 years. Mercury (Hg) which constitutes about 50% of amalgam is the only metal which is liquid at room temperature, a property key to its success as a filling material. Mercury measurement in non-invasive biological material has been used in some studies. Dentists are a group of workers with potential exposure to inorganic mercury through their handling of mercury-contamining amalgam. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the exposure of Iranian dentists to mercury in Tehran. The project, which conducted between May 2005 and May 2006, involved a sample of 100 dentists (randomly) and 35 controls in the all regions in Tehran city (center, north, south, west and east). The dentists were asked to give a sample of nail and to complete a questionnaire. The samples were analyzed by AMA 254, Leco, ASTM, D-6722. Mercury concentration ranged from 0.14 ppm to 27.27 ppm in nail of operative dentists, from 0 to 1.7 ppm in nail of controls and from 0.15 ppm to 14.53 ppm in nail of orthodontics dentists. The study also investigated the effects of age, gender, years of practice, specialty and number of amalgam fillings on the mercury levels among those dentists. The study showed that variable of age had significant effect on mercury levels. But variables of gender, years of practice, specialty and number of amalgam fallings had no significant effects on mercury levels. Statistical analysis showed that mercury levels were significantly higher in dentists. High mercury levels in some of dentists appeared to be due to background exposure from preparation amalgam, spillage of mercury and amalgam residues on floor. Increased mercury hygiene and regular control of working atmosphere should be implemented to prevent mercury exposure in the dental pre- clinical laboratory.

Keywords:

Mercury, Amalgam, Nail, Iranian dentists