I had no idea there’s BPA in dental sealants!
That’s what a WBUR program reporting on a proposed ban of BPA in Massachusetts says (see “State Wants BPA Ban in Some Children’s Products,” May 12, 2010). Today, while sorting files, I found a brochure about dental sealants I was given when my son’s dentist recommended dental sealants — Seal Out Tooth Decay: A Booklet for Parents.
The first sentence reads “Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.” So yes, dental sealants are plastic and apparently the kind of plastic that has BPA in it. But the brochure, of course, does not mention BPA.
www.bisphenol-a.org, a web site “sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association,” claims on a page “Resin Dental Sealants and Bisphenol A Oral Exposure” that “human exposure to BPA from dental resins is minimal and poses no known health risk.” But then the same web site also assures that “consumer products made with BPA are safe for their intended uses and pose no known risks to human health.”
Apparently, some sealants may be BPA free (according to www.non-toxickids.net post “BPA in Dental Sealants? Ask Your Dentist,” from January 1, 2009). But my son already has dental sealants on his teeth. Now I wonder whether it makes any sense (because, frankly, it is too late to do anything) to check whether his sealants have BPA in them.
My dentist says: “Name your poison” when it comes to repairing or preventing tooth decay. Mercury in amalgam fillings, porcelain contains sealants made from Epoxy of Bisphenol A (BPA), everything dentistry has down sides. And yes, to my knowledge all dental sealants do contain BPA.
I recently heard on WBUR, a promotional for dental sealants. Perhaps, that’s one of WBUR’s underwriters. I hope my daughter encourages her new born son to use preventive dentistry in caring for his teeth, and I do not mean using BPA. I mean using the precautionary principle, and brushing after meals with a really good toothbrush like Sonicare, getting to all surfaces and manually removing as much plaque as possible; avoiding ingesting mass medicated beverages –water, which contains toxic buildup over a lifetime of fluoride, using topical fluoride is better, as long as it’s not swallowed. Flossing is great! Avoiding high glycemic treats, chewy dried fruits, grains, which break down into sugars in the mouth and body, and thereby avoiding plastics and harmful dentistry practices.
Dental practices alike the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group are only interested in one thing, their speciality. They are not interested in the wider picture, affecting your son’s health, except for adding their spin. Avoidance is the best policy, in my opinion, and I don’t mean avoiding going to the dentist. I mean avoiding plastics, and foods and beverages that increase the risks of cavities, obesity, diabetes, and other illness attributed to them.
I understand from where you come. My teeth are very white and very soft and have been for my nearly 70 years. If you ask your dentist about BPA, he or she’ll talk about benefits vs the risks. And, then may say, “Name your poison.” The risks to your teeth are slightly different from the cancers to your body from the accumulation of the poisonous materials. Still, as a preventive measure, which is healthier on both counts: Low glycemic foods include most fruits and vegetables, sugar free (and I don’t mean aspartame) yogurts and dairy. They can taste good if your start out life without processed foods or anything that comes in a package.
The dental sealants may break down and need replacement, just like mercury amalgam fillings and actually get into your son’s body. A change in lifestyle on the other hand, may help him become healthier by eating the right quantity of beneficial fruits, veggies and less of bread-like foods that break down into simple sugars in his body and decay his teeth, and by brushing and flossing correctly every day and before bed.
The brochure, which I just read, says: “Sealants can last up to 10 years. But they need to be checked at regular dental check-ups to make sure they are not chipped or worn away. The dentist or dental hygienist can repair sealants by adding more sealant material. ”
You have another chance. You may not be able to remove the sealants on your child’s teeth right now, but knowing the dangers of BPA and dental sealants (how can it not get into our bodies), you can avoid having it done a second time or 8 times during your child’s lifetime. Avoidance is a better principle than being forced to drink fluoride in drinking water (and beverages made from tapped or bottled water). Sodium fluoride alike BPA is a poison forced on the public by vested interests or government bodies to eliminate a waste product by another industry because it might reduce dental cavities. In the case of fluoride, it also increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone cancer in test and humans. The tests found that young males had an increased risk of bone cancer from ingesting fluoride in water meant to prevent cavities. Fluoride also does other things like increase the risk of cognitive damage to children. Children may grow to become brain damaged adults costing society more money and adverse effects.
We pay the risks with our health, while vested industries benefit with profits. Use the precautionary principle instead.
“When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof. The process of applying the precautionary principle must be open, informed and democratic and must include potentially affected parties. It must also involve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action.” – Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle, Jan. 1998
Your can read this statement at: http://tinyurl.com/6y5gzh9