The Consequences of Heavy Metals Impact on Primary Teeth

Abstract

Since the metals deposited in the teeth during formation and mineralization processes are to a large extent retained, human teeth receive a considerable attention as indicators of heavy metal exposure. The objective of the present work was to assess the relationship between the concentration of lead from the hard dental tissues of schoolchildren's deciduous teeth and the prevalence of dental caries. In 2008, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 157 children: 90 children from an industrial urban area (44 boys and 46 girls), mean age 7.66±0.6 years and 67 children from a reference area (31 boys and 36 girls), mean age 7.75±0.6 years. For dental status evaluation there were determined mean values and standard deviation for the following parameters: the number of caries free children, the prevalence index (Ip), the decayed, missing, filled teeth/surfaces (dmft/s index) and the Significant Caries index (SiC30 and SiC10). A correlation was made between these indices and the heavy metals concentrations from the temporary teeth collected from the two areas, the data being obtained from Politechnica University, Bucharest, our partner in a CNMP project. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS program.