Abstract
BackgroundDental amalgam is composed of approximately 50% elemental mercury. Despite concerns over the toxicity of mercury, amalgam is still the most widely used restorative material. Wi-Fi is a rapidly using local area wireless computer networking technology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates the effect of exposure to Wi-Fi signals on mercury release from amalgam restorations.MethodsStandard class V cavities were prepared on the buccal surfaces of 20 non-carious extracted human premolars. The teeth were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 10). The control group was stored in non-environment. The specimens in the experimental groups were exposed to a radiofrequency radiation emitted from standard Wi Fi devices at 2.4 GHz for 20 min. The distance between the Wi-Fi router and samples was 30 cm and the router was exchanging data with a laptop computer that was placed 20 m away from the router.The concentration of mercury in the artificial saliva in the groups was evaluated by using a cold-vapor atomic absorption Mercury Analyzer System. The independent t test was used to evaluate any significant differences in mercury release between the two groups.ResultsThe mean (±SD) concentration of mercury in the artificial saliva of the Wi-Fi exposed teeth samples was 0.056 ± .025 mg/L, while it was only 0.026 ± .008 mg/L in the non-exposed control samples. This difference was statistically significant (P =0.009).ConclusionExposure of patients with amalgam restorations to radiofrequency radiation emitted from conventional Wi-Fi devices can increase mercury release from amalgam restorations.
Highlights
Dental amalgam is composed of approximately 50% elemental mercury
The restored teeth were plunged in saline solution at 37° C for 14 days because as it was discussed by Muller Miny et al, the mercury release from amalgam restorations decrease gradually to a constant level 14 days after the filling [25]
The mean concentration of mercury in the wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) group was about twice of the control group
Summary
Dental amalgam is composed of approximately 50% elemental mercury. Despite concerns over the toxicity of mercury, amalgam is still the most widely used restorative material. Dental amalgam is still the most widely used restorative material in the last 150 years especially in posterior teeth because of its high mechanical strength, durability, ease of manipulation, and low cost [1,2,3,4,5]. Paknahad et al Journal of Environmental Health Science & Engineering (2016) 14:12 years [16] It allows electronic devices such as personal computers, video-game consoles, smart phones, digital cameras and tablet computers to network using Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards. The lower cost and easier deployment of these devices than wired computer networks lead to rapidly increase of Wi-Fi devices [18] This raised great public concern about the potential adverse effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted from these devices [19]
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