In this paper we presents results of the spectral study of plasmas-laser of dental amalgam by technique Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Plasmas were generated focusing the beam of a Nd: YAG laser on the matrix of the mixture Ag-Sn-Cu and on amalgams with different proportions of mercury (3:2, 5:2, 6:2). Based on the spectral results and reported atomic parameters, became estimation...

Clarkson and Magos (2006) provide their perspectives on the toxicology of mercury vapor and dental amalgam. As scientists who are involved in preparing a German federal guideline regarding dental amalgam, we welcome additional scientific data on this issue. However, Clarkson and Magos do not present all the relevant studies in their review. The additional data provided here show that: (a) Denta...

Use of mercury as a component of restorative material is continuing to generate controversy. There is no doubt that dental amalgam is a very good restorative material. However, at the same time, there are serious health issues with mercury. Whether the amount of mercury in the mouth can cause any serious effect is still very much controversial. Composite resin, the popular alternative material ...

OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the effect of surface polishing on mercury release from dental amalgam after treatment with 16% carbamide peroxide gel. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety-six samples from two different amalgam brands were prepared in truncated cone-shaped PVC polymer molds with an external surface area of 195 mm(2). Half of the specimens were polished with green and red rubber, a br...

Subjects working in or living near informal gold mining and processing in southern Peru were studied to determine mercury exposures from two tasks: amalgamation and amalgam smelting. The authors collected 17 airborne and 41 urinary mercury levels. The mean urinary levels were 728 (range: 321-1662) and 113 (45-197) microg/L for working in smelters and living near smelters, respectively. A third ...

There are some 60 gold-mining sites in the Bento Gomes River basin (Mato Grosso), at the border of the Mato Grosso Pantanal (Swamp), where mercury is used to agglutinate fine gold particles through amalgamation. During burning of the amalgam to release the gold, mercury vapor is lost to the atmosphere, since closed systems for mercury recovery are not always used. This study shows the results o...

Dental amalgam powder consisting of conventional, spherical-shaped alloy was prepared and added to the diet at the rate of 10% or 20% of the weight. An inorganic mercury compound, a solution of 10ppm or 20ppm of mercurous nitrate was also prepared for a comparative study. Five groups of rats were fed the test diet or test solution ad libitum for 8 weeks. Throughout the experiment, all rats were...