Dear Colleagues,
In the past few days, both local and national media have published reports concerning the health concerns over Bisphenol-A and its use in plastic bottles, cans, and even home electronics. Unfortunately, the general category of "dental sealants" has been incorrectly added to the items of concern.
This alarm over Bisphenol-A is not new and typically comes and goes in the media. Ultradent is very aware of this subject and has successfully addressed the issue over the past 12 years. Most media attention to this topic comes from the original "Granada" study done some years ago that incorrectly lumped all dental sealant materials into one category. Dental sealants were labeled "possible risks" because of the results of a study that used only one competitive manufacturer's sealant material.
It’s important to understand that there is a significant molecular difference between the Bis-GMA used in UltraSeal XT plus and Bisphenol-A Dimethacrylate. Bis-GMA is a very stable resin monomer whereas Bisphenol-A Dimethacrylate is a much less stable resin monomer. Bis-GMA is well known, well established, and has been widely used by many dental manufacturers since the sixties and seventies. Ultradent has held the position for quite some time that our raw material Bis-GMA contains no trace of Bisphenol-A inpurity.
Methacrylic acid is bonded to Bisphenol-A via an ester group. This ester group is slightly unstable and somewhat susceptible to decomposition by saliva back into its base components: methacrylic acid and Bisphenol-A . BPDMA is NOT found in any product manufactured by Ultradent Products.
Bis-GMA is bonded via an ether group. This ether group is very stable and not susceptible to decomposition by conditions found in the oral cavity. UltraSeal XT plus utilizes Bis-GMA.
BPDMA should not be confused with Bis-GMA; these molecules are very different from each other.
Ultradent, as you all know, prides itself on the integrity of our employees and the quality of our products. We want to provide you with the information you may need to ensure that your patients have the highest confidence in our materials.
Until next time,
Dan
Comments (8)
It's crazy to think that all this time we have been exposed to BPA but until this recent spur in interest over it, it was brushed under the rug. Our lives are consumed by BPA. It is in fillings in our teeth, it lines the metal in our canned foods, and in our plastic food containers. It is scary to know that BPA is found in most baby bottles and sippy cups. There are many new companies coming out with BPA free bottles though. As far as plastic drinking bottles for adults go, Camelbak has always been BPA free and Nalgene and REI are coming out with a BPA-free lines, too.
Posted by Kristen Cink | April 29, 2008 10:09 AM
Posted on April 29, 2008 10:09
Why does this company use this wording: "Ultradent has held the position for quite some time that our raw material Bis-GMA contains no trace of Bisphenol-A inpurity."?
Is that the same as saying we guarantee that the product we use for dental fillings and sealants, Bis-GMA, contains absolutely no trace of Bisphenol-A impurity?
I think the wording is thought-provoking. Would appreciate a more straightfoward disclaimer. Why do they "hold the position" there is none, instead of guarantee there is none? Why do they say that the "raw material Bis-GMA contains no trace of Bis-A impurity" instead of saying that Bis-GMA, as it goes into your mouth, contains none? And why do they say it contains "no trace of Bis-a impurity", instead of saying it contains NONE, period??????
Posted by Erealia D. | May 24, 2008 6:43 PM
Posted on May 24, 2008 18:43
Erealia,
Thanks for taking the time to post.
By saying that we have "held the position for quite some time..." we are saying that we didn't recently adjust our formula in response to media coverage. We guaranteed no traces of Bisphenol-A many years ago and we continue to guarantee that our product contains no Bisphenol-A.
When we put our guarantee in writing, we meant to leave absolutely no doubt. What we intended to convey was that: (1) We do not use Bisphenol-A as an ingredient in our dental sealant, (2) The Bis-GMA we use does not contain Bisphenol-A, and (3) Not only is Bisphenol-A not an ingredient in our product, there is not even a trace of the impurity found as a contaminant in our product.
We apologize for any confusion. Our wording was meant to be more specific, not more vague. So, just to be clear, UltraSeal XT plus contains ZERO Bisphenol-A. You can also see Dr. Fischer's post about having UltraSeal XT plus re-tested at an outside lab.
Melanie Jones
eCommerce Manager
Ultradent Products, Inc.
Posted by Melanie Jones | May 24, 2008 9:18 PM
Posted on May 24, 2008 21:18
Melanie:
Thanks for the very helpful clarification about the BPA content of your sealants. As the mother of two young boys, I am very concerned about this issue and I am happy to learn about companies that share my concerns. I am wondering if you could direct me to any studies that have been done regarding the potential health risks of BIS-gma. I don't want to assume that this compond is better or safer without some data/info to back it up.
Thanks very much,
Donna Hall
Posted by Donna Hall | February 19, 2009 9:06 AM
Posted on February 19, 2009 09:06
Hi, are you able to tell us *what* sealants do have bisphenol A in them? I have sealants on my teeth and was going to ask my dentist if he has any record of the sealant he used. However that information won't be of much use if I don't know which sealants I need to avoid.
Can sealants be removed?
Endocrine disruptors scare me. My mother died a few weeks ago of breast cancer and I also have a lump. They might not be as a result of BPA but I certainly don't want some known permanent endocrine disruptor in my body.
Thank you for your information. I shall ask my dentist for your brand. I hope they have it - we live in New Zeland.
Kind Regards
Posted by Tara J | April 9, 2009 1:14 PM
Posted on April 9, 2009 13:14
I'm curious as to why there is no response to Donna Hall's message about the potential health risks of Bis-GMA?
Is anyone familiar with this study published in the Journal of the ADA, http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/full/131/1/51 that states the following...
"Researchers found an estrogenic effect with BPA, Bis-DMA and Bis-GMA but not with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, or TEGDMA, in an estrogen-sensitive cell line—MCF7"
I realize that this was published in 2000 -- is there any more recent research about the hormone-disrupting properties of Bis-GMA?
thank you,
Lydia
Posted by Lydia Peterson | May 4, 2009 1:10 PM
Posted on May 4, 2009 13:10
I AGREE------WHERE IS THE RESPONSE TO THE BIS-GMA QUESTION???????????????
I wonder if the site manager will approve my comment?
Posted by Judy Tottenham | July 28, 2009 7:01 AM
Posted on July 28, 2009 07:01
Dear Tara,
I'm so sorry for your loss. Knowing the tragic condition of your mother's health, I think it's wise to ask these questions now. None of our products have endocrine disruptors. I would certainly still plan on consulting with your physician on any precautionary measures. You can also be assured that our sealant material is free from Bisphenol-A. I can't speak to the formulations of other manufacturers as I would hate to misrepresent any. I would suggest finding out the name of the sealant and manufacturer. You will need to contact other manufacturers individually to determine whether their respective products may contain Bisphenol-A.
As to your question on whether sealants can be removed, if the sealants were properly applied, you cannot remove all of it without cutting down into the enamel at least 1-2mm (very minimal). But yes, they can be removed.
Thanks for contacting us Tara. I hope this information helps point you in the right direction.
Dan
Posted by Dan Fischer | July 28, 2009 10:15 AM
Posted on July 28, 2009 10:15