La Jolla dentist, Dentist in La Jolla, CA

Norway Bans Dental Amalgam

Norway has acted in the New Year to discontinue the use of dental amalgam. The action was part of a sweeping effort to restrict the use of mercury and was done so largely for environmental reasons. It's possible that Sweden may have taken a similar action, but we have not been able to adequately verify this with reliable information at this time. No new scientific studies or other new data have been cited as calling for this sweeping action.

The ban is not expected to have any economic impact in these countries because of their national health care systems , for example, Sweden's health care system stopped paying for amalgam fillings years ago.

Norway's announcement has not made news in the United States yet. We encourage you to be prepared by visiting ADA.org.

Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Risk

Systemic inflammation has been associated with metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, and other conditions that have a direct bearing on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. In particular, the presence of two inflammatory markers--C-reative protein (CRP) and interleukin-6(IL6)- indicate an elevated risk for future cardiovascular events and may be even more predictive than other risk elements, such as cholesterol levels.

During the past decade, researchers shown that chronic periodontal infection may also contribute to elevated levels of LDL cholestterol that are not accounted for by lifestyle. Periodontitis has also been associated with increased levels of white blood cells (WBC) and rises in systolic blood pressure. Research showed potential association between bacteria present in dental plaque and the formation of atherosclerotic lesions.

bisphosphonate

A new report showed that implant surgery on patients receiving Fosamax®-type drugs did not result in bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). This study, from the Dentistry/Oral Surgery group at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, reported that of 115 patients taking oral bisphosphonates, none showed evidence or had symptoms of osteonecrosis after implant placement. This report had findings similar to a previous report by Dr. M. Jeffcoat, who showed success in implant placement and no signs of necrosis in patients taking oral bisphosphonates