Uranium content in porcelain denture teeth and in porcelain powders for ceramic crowns

ODONTOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION (review)

BACKGROUND

Odontological effects of ionizing radiation (IR) as a result of radiotherapy, the consequences of accidents at nuclear power plants and industry, individual occupational exposure, etc. deserve significant attention interns of radiation medicine and radiation safety.

OBJECTIVE

to analyze and summarize clinical and experimental data on the odontological radiation effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

OBJECT

the pathological changes in the hard tissues of teeth, pulp, periodontium, mucousmembranes of the mouth and jaws due to exposure to IR.

METHOD

search in the PubMed / MEDLINE, Google Scholarabstract medical and biological databases, scientific libraries of the relevant sources of scientific information.

RESULTS

Radiobiological effects of IR due to its direct and indirect action are manifested throughout the period ofodontogenesis and formation of the facial skeleton. Experimental and clinical data (in children and adults) indicatethe increased risk of dental caries, reduction of pain threshold and vascularization of tooth pulp along with its fibrosis and atrophy, periodontal dysfunction, which predispose to a high probability of tooth loss. Abnormalities in theactivity of osteoblasts and cementoblasts of dental periosteum and osteoblasts of alveolar process in combinationwith circulatory disorders due to endothelial cell death, hyalinization, thrombosis and vascular obliteration increasethe risk of jaw osteoradionecrosis. Children who have undergone a prenatal exposure to IR as a result of theChornobyl NPP accident have a premature change of teeth. Deterioration of periodontal tissues and early development of acute and complicated dental caries are typical for children and adults affected by the Chornobyl disaster.

CONCLUSIONS

Summarized data on the effects of radiation exposure under different conditions on teeth primordia(i.e. immature teeth), their formation and eruption in experimental and clinical settings, as well as on the odontological radiation effects in adults are summarized. Condition of the teeth in the Chornobyl NPP accident survivorsis described. Understanding and taking into account the radiobiological odontological effects is necessary in thelight of planning, preparing, and conducting local radiation therapy and developing the standards of radiation safety and measures to protect professionals and the public in the event of possible radiation accidents at the nuclearpower plants and industry facilities.

Civil use of depleted uranium

In this paper the civilian exploitation of depleted uranium is briefly reviewed. Different scenarios relevant to its use are discussed in terms of radiation exposure for workers and the general public. The case of the aircraft accident which occurred in Amsterdam in 1992 involving a fire, is discussed in terms of the radiological exposure to bystanders. All information given has been obtained on the basis of an extensive literature search and are not based on measurements performed at the Institute for Transuranium Elements.

Side-effects of dental ceramics

Evaluation of side-effects to low-dose exposure of any agent is difficult, especially if the agent exhibits a low toxicity. The most common way to approach such evaluation is to define special groups which are exposed more than others. Studies of such risk groups may facilitate interpretation of information related to those exposed to a low dose. For dental materials, dentists, dental assistants, and laboratory technicians represent typical risk groups. In addition to receiving dental treatments and having restorations like anyone else, they handle the materials in their daily work. The exposure to the materials occurs more frequently and at a higher dose for these groups than for the patient receiving dental treatment. Thus, the possibilities for side-effects are greater. Some materials are handled more closely by laboratory technicians than by other members of the dental team, e.g., dental ceramics.