Bioavailability of Components of Resin-Based Materials Which Are Applied To Teeth

Abstract

Chemical components of many materials used in dental practice can move into the local biophase, where they can have beneficial or adverse effects. The strongest indirect evidence that components of resin-based materials used in dentistry can move into the biophase are the many reports of allergic dermatitis in dental personnel. Direct measurement of component release has shown that triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and, in the case of some orthodontic cements, bis-glycidyl methacrylate and benzoyl peroxide can move into an aqueous medium from a range of resin-based materials which are applied to teeth as part of oral care. In the case of resin composite restorations, HEMA and TEGDMA are available in microgram quantities via the salivary surface in the minutes and hours after clinical placement and via dentin and pulp in the hours and days after placement. Fortunately, moderate thickness of dentin protects pulp tissue against local toxicity. There are no data which suggest that systemic toxicity is a risk with any of these materials. There are some case reports of allergic responses to the monomers in patients, but the incidence of such responses appears at present to be much lower than that in dental personnel.

Composite resin restoration and postoperative sensitivity: clinical follow-up in an undergraduate program

“…This view has been supported also by the fact that various components of dentine-bonding agents and restorative resin materials are directly toxic to cells [12,14,15]. Dentine conditioning agents can also be harmful when the pH value is lower than 5.5 and when they approach or come in contact with pulp [16].…”

Cytotoxicity of Composite Materials Polymerized with LED Curing Units

“…6 Even in fully set restorative materials, substantial amounts of shortchain polymers remain unbound, resulting in a potential release of unreacted toxic components around pulp tissue. [7][8][9] There is also a correlation between the amount of uncured resin monomers in a composite and the magnitude of the cytotoxicity effect. To overcome this problem of inadequate polymerization, new curing methods have been introduced (the soft-start and exponential programs, pulse program and high and low intensity program).…”

Casting the runes

“…Reactions around the eyes, generalised skin itching and bronchial problems have been reported, but these are rare (Hume and Gerzina 1996).…”

“…The potential for adverse effects to alternative restorative materials amongst dental personnel is widely recognised (Hume and Gerzina 1996). Most of the evidence of adverse effects takes the form of case reports, findings from surveys (Örtengren 2000) and reports from national reporting systems (van Noort et al 2004).…”