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April 18, 2006
JAMA's New Studies on Amalgam's Health Impacts
The prestigious medical journal JAMA released today two randomized controlled clinical trials on the longterm health effects of amalgam restorations in children. Both trials found no measurable ill effects of amalgam.
Neuropsychological and Renal Effects of Dental Amalgam in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial
David C. Bellinger, PhD, MSc; Felicia Trachtenberg, PhD; Lars Barregard, MD, PhD; Mary Tavares, DMD, MPH; Elsa Cernichiari, MS; David Daniel, PhD; Sonja McKinlay, PhD.
JAMA. 2006;295:1775-1783:
FREE ARTICLE: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/295/15/1775
"Conclusions In this study, there were no statistically significant differences in adverse neuropsychological or renal effects observed over the 5-year period in children whose caries were restored using dental amalgam or composite materials. Although it is possible that very small IQ effects cannot be ruled out, these findings suggest that the health effects of amalgam restorations in children need not be the basis of treatment decisions when choosing restorative dental materials."
Neurobehavioral Effects of Dental Amalgam in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Timothy A. DeRouen, PhD; Michael D. Martin, DMD, PhD; Brian G. Leroux, PhD; Brenda D. Townes, PhD; James S. Woods, PhD, MPH; Jorge Leitão, MD, MS; Alexandre Castro-Caldas, MD, PhD; Henrique Luis, MS; Mario Bernardo, DMD, PhD; Gail Rosenbaum, MS; Isabel P. Martins, MD, PhD
JAMA. 2006;295:1784-1792.
UM Only: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/295/15/1784
"Conclusions In this study, children who received dental restorative treatment with amalgam did not, on average, have statistically significant differences in neurobehavioral assessments or in nerve conduction velocity when compared with children who received resin composite materials without amalgam. These findings, combined with the trend of higher treatment need later among those receiving composite, suggest that amalgam should remain a viable dental restorative option for children."
Posted by pfa at April 18, 2006 09:36 PM