Mercury and health in the dental practice

Authors

  • Ivelin Morales Fuentes Universidad Simón Bolívar; División de Ciencias Biológicas; Departamento de Biología de Organismos
  • Rosa Reyes Gil Universidad Simón Bolívar; División de Ciencias Biológicas; Departamento de Biología de Organismos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102003000200018

Keywords:

Preventive dentristy, Mercurio^i2^stoxic, Occupational health, Occupational Risk, Dentists, Dental assistants, Occupational exposure, Dental amalgam

Abstract

Mercury is a heavy metal widely used by man. It is considered very toxic causing conditions in the central nervous system, behavior disturbances, and renal and sexual disorders. For a century, mercury has been used in the dental practice for its capacity of joining metals (amalgamate), its low cost and its rapid fixing in dental pieces repair. Currently, there is much controversy about the safety of dental amalgams and it has been demonstrated it poses occupational risks to dental practitioners and their assistants. The objective of this study is review aspects related to metallic mercury toxicity for personnel involved in the dental practice and patients with dental amalgams. Routes of mercury exposure in dentistry, occupational risks and measures to prevent mercury poisoning are presented here. A literature review was conducted mostly on data from Biological Abstracts and the Science Citation Index for the period between 1990 and 2000.

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Published

2003-04-01

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 2 (2003)

Section

Review

How to Cite

Morales Fuentes, I., & Reyes Gil, R. (2003). Mercury and health in the dental practice . Revista De Saúde Pública, 37(2), 263-265. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102003000200018