Dental crowns made In China may contain lead

why wouldn't they everything else does

I find this whole china thing to be crazy! I cant believe that anyone would do such a thing. however i wanted to ask you a question, I work at a lab marotta dental studio and they outsource to china (even though they say they do not to there doctors. I am in such a odd place on what to do. Is there anything you can suggest to stop them on what they are doing.???... because there doctors are calling after it was printed in the papers and all over that the patients are wondering do I have a crown full of lead from China in my mouth? And I think it is wrong that Marotta is saying no to these doctors when in fact they are.
What do I do???? I can lose my job for this but it dont seem right either for me to be apart in something like that either. Please help!

Concerned dental tech wrote:

I find this whole china thing to be crazy! I cant believe that anyone would do such a thing. however i wanted to ask you a question, I work at a lab marotta dental studio and they outsource to china (even though they say they do not to there doctors. I am in such a odd place on what to do. Is there anything you can suggest to stop them on what they are doing.???... because there doctors are calling after it was printed in the papers and all over that the patients are wondering do I have a crown full of lead from China in my mouth? And I think it is wrong that Marotta is saying no to these doctors when in fact they are.
What do I do???? I can lose my job for this but it dont seem right either for me to be apart in something like that either. Please help!

Quit

Greetings,

Many domestic dental labs have been testing there own products produced here in the states and the results were unexpected. They contain lead.

Also the ADA states that the limit for lead in dental devices is 300ppm. The China crowns had 210ppm.

The material problem is not China's it's the manufactures, the FDA, the CDC, and the ADA.

Funny, I work at that same dental lab,Marotta, and they doo all their work in house, no outsourcing. Sounds like that comment wasleft by adisgruntled ex employee making up b.s. to me. How pathetic.

This is Times Dental Lab in China, I am trying to looking for some dental labs or agencys who want to have a Chinese partner.
Our lab set up in 2005, locate in Shen Zhen ,it is quite closed to Hong Kong. It is specializing in producing all kinds of ceramic crowns & bridges, inlays & onlays, implants, veneers, dentures and telescopes.The products are with living design, nature shade, and good stability! There are over 100 technicians in our lab.we can product 5000 units and 2500 dentures per month
All the time ,we are making American cases, but my boss want to expend the oversea market.So I am try to look for new agency or new dental lab who want to have cases made in China , We offer the hightest quality , and the price is very compititave .
We are focused on both providing the best services and excellent quality that you can depend on.. And for the first time cooperation, it is free for less then 5 none-precious ceramic crowns & bridges, so that the quality and the design can be checked!!
Our total turnaround time is 8 to 10 days by FEDEX .
Besides,we took part in famous dental exhibition all over the world.(For example , South Dental Chian 2009, in GuangZhou)
Should any of these items be of interest to you, please let me know. Your E-Mail notice is appreciated. I will be happy to give you any details.
Thanks for your attenion. We wish to cooperate with you!
Zip code:518052
Fax:+86075526976970
Tel:+8613425128650
MSN: dianasjj@hotmail.com
Skype: dianasongjingjing
Website: www.timesdental.com
Address: 2th floor, 25 block, AnLe Industry District,ShenZhen city ,GuangDong Province

CHICAGO (April 29, 2008)—The American Dental Association (ADA) appreciates the responses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addressing safety concerns raised by media reports about lead in dental prostheses such as crowns and bridges.

According to the CDC, trace amounts of lead at a level of 200 ppm, such as the amount the one Ohio news outlet reportedly found in several dental crowns, are “extremely unlikely to cause adverse health effects.” The CDC also states that given the current information at hand, they do not recommend that individuals defer needed dental treatment or have existing dental crowns, bridges or other prostheses removed.

“We are glad that the CDC sees no threat to patients based upon the trace amount of lead reported,” said ADA President Mark Feldman, D.M.D.“We are still conducting our own test of dental prostheses and will take the CDC up on its offer to evaluate the results."

When the story broke in February, the ADA notified the CDC (Letter 1, Letter 2) and the FDA (Letter 1, Letter 2) and asked the agencies to address any safety concerns. The FDA regulates the materials used to make dental crowns and bridges, and the CDC has extensive information and expertise in the area of lead exposure.

According to the CDC’s response, "Many consumer products contain lead in trace amounts, and federal regulations limit the amount of lead in consumer products" based on "the way the body absorbs lead, the potential hazard, and the lead level product manufacturers can achieve using good manufacturing practices…”

The ADA is testing both foreign- and domestic-made dental crowns to determine:

The degree to which lead may be present;
Where the lead may be located (i.e., in the metal alloy, the porcelain, etc.); and
How much, if any, lead may be released from dental crowns.
Once testing is completed, the ADA will share the research findings with the dental profession, the public and the regulatory agencies responsible for protecting the public's health. However, this investigation should not be viewed as a substitute for necessary oversight and enforcement by the federal and state government agencies responsible for protecting the public’s health and safety.

The ADA encourages patients to discuss any concerns about the safety of their dental crowns or other prostheses with their dentists and will continue to share information on this issue.

About the American Dental Association

Celebrating its 150th anniversary, the not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at www.ada.org

WASHINGTON — As part of an ongoing lead in dental work investigation, 10 Investigates traveled to the American Dental Association laboratory where researchers are conducting an investigation of their own.
The ADA research laboratory, also known as the Paffenbarger Research Center, co-exists with the federally funded National Institute of Science and Technology, 10 Investigates' Lindsey Seavert reported.
SPECIAL SECTION: Lead In Dental Work
When 10TV first broke the story about lead in dental work, the ADA was the first to respond.
"Listen, nobody is more anxious to get the information out this testing than the dentists are," said Dr. Edmond Hewlett, ADA spokesman and UCLA dentistry professor. "Our primary responsibility is to make our patients healthy."
10 Investigates tested 13 crowns from three different counties - China, Thailand and the United States. Ten of those crowns tested positive for lead, with readings ranging from 110 and 240 parts per million, Seavert reported.
WEB EXTRAS: Read Burgess' Letter To Committee Chairman | CDC Response To ADA | FDA Response To ADA | FDA Response To 10TV
Currently, lawmakers are trying to lower the level of leachable lead in toys to 90 parts per million.
Clif Carey, an ADA research director, began a widespread crown experiment in the wake of 10 Investigates' story.
As part of the experiment, the ADA decided to test 50 foreign crowns, along with 50 crowns from the United States. The ADA asked dentists to place their usual orders for dental work, but send the crowns to the ADA instead.
"I have no idea the history of the sample," Carey said.
Carey said the samples were blind, but before testing he said he needed to understand the materials inside the crown. The experiment begins by testing porcelain.
The powders from the crowns are dissolved in acids and a machine measures the solution for toxins. Initial tests of the raw materials showed very little lead, Seavert reported.
"Only recently have we found two samples with some lead at only 18 parts per million," Carey said.
The scientists said what mattered most is the amount of lead that will leach, or be released from the crown over time.
Under current dental ceramic standards, there is no mention of how to specifically test or analyze lead. So ADA researchers rely on lead standards for cookware. Through their experiments, they hope to develop a new, groundbreaking testing method, Seavert reported.
"If the testing is, let's soak it in a beaker of saliva, just like the mouth, and see what happens, that isn't good enough," Carey said.
The crown will go in a solution that will mimic what could happen if a lead-tainted crown was in a mouth for a lifetime.
"I am writing papers and these papers are going under peer review and scientific journals," Carey said. "Everything I do I have people looking over my shoulder."
The ADA said it will make the results of its investigation public, and submit them to government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA said it does not believe levels of lead in dental crowns poses a health risk, but it has not said why, Seavert reported.
The FDA refused 10 Investigates' requests for an interview.

The Center for Disease Control weighed in on the issue. It said the small amounts of lead uncovered by 10 Investigates were extremely unlikely to cause adverse health effects because the lead is released in tiny amounts over time.

But Faye Lewis, the Ohio woman whose bridge tested at 160 parts per million, disagreed.

She is currently seeing a Columbus toxicologist to see if any toxic metals found in her bridge are a risk to her health.

"Those metals are not allowed in any form in dental work," Lewis said. "They can't have any part per million and be right."

Whatever levels the ADA finds, it will uncover results and look for trends, to see where the lead is coming from.

Researchers said their livelihood and patients depend on it.

"It's not trivial," Hewlett said. "It's important and its important we see it through to the end and get the answers so from this point we are doing a better job."

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA)-- Chinese imports don't have the best reputation. You've probably heard about dangerous lead found in Chinese-made toys. Now, an Ohio woman claims high levels of lead were found in her dental crown, which she says was made in China.

At one of several dental labs in Montgomery, owners insist their products are 100% made in America.

"We get all our materials from companies that are FDA approved," said Keith Pettus of Capital Dental Designs, which supplies crowns to more than a dozen Montgomery dentists.

There are other labs out there who buy crowns overseas because the prices are cheaper. But we all know, cheaper doesn't always mean better.

"In China, there are no standards or requirements, so that's the concern," Pettus said.

"You don't know how much of the crown is made here and how much is made overseas," said Montgomery Dentist Bruce Sansom.

Dr. Sansom says the Montgomery lab he uses makes crowns of American-made materials and provides paperwork to prove it. However, there are no laws that require labs to disclose that kind of information.

That's why the American Dental Association recommends that patients talk to their dentists or lab technicians and ask about the origin of any dental implant.

Dr. Sansom says there are obvious dangerous health effects associated with lead. But there is no research indicating the effects of lead in a dental crown.

"Does the led break down and get into your system? Or does it stay bound inside the crown? That's one thing the FDA and ADA really don't know," Sansom said.

Experts remind patients that the problem does not appear to be widespread. There's only been one lead crown discovered in the US. The ADA says 15-20 percent of dental implants are manufactured overseas.

I hear they make them out of drywall.

Now that the Chinese and all the cad cam technology dental technology will never be the same. The dentist is positioning themselves to delete the dental technician's in the US. Just a question though," what will they do when they have a full reconstruction case?" If i were the tech in the US, I would be getting a pretty penny for that! After all we have to make up for all the lost wages due to the Chinese etc. Unfortunately the track record of the dental technician's in the past show that we will probably cave and therefore continue this never ending battle of no respect.

It may be that 'reserch' shows that lead, nickel, or Agent Orange is 'safe' in dental crowns; but why accept those materials for dental work in the first place? There are plenty of metal and gold alloys for dental crowns and bridges that do not contain lead or nickel, so there are no arguments why even accepting one ppm is reasonable.

I work with detal travel (http://www.dacadia.eu ) and we can beat all Western European and American dentists on prices. The quality is the same (or better) as our dentists use the same materials as in 'the West'(from Germany, USA, and Swizerland). But, our living costs, salaries, and - especially - costs of running a business are so much lower. That is why you can get at PFM crown from about USD 300 in Budapest.

It will probably surprise you to know that about 80% of what you pay for getting a porcelain crown or an implant in 'the West' is covering labor and 'bureacracy'. If you get a PFM crown in Budapest, then material costs are 45-55% of the price you pay. That is why you can save 50-60% on your dental treatment by going to Budapest.

Sure thats what we need to do," send more busness out of the US." It may be to your surprise that the bottom line shouldnt be bottom line! This idea of sending our work somewhere else for a better price is the reason for the deteration of our economy! We continue to look for better profits that will only benefit a short term only. What happen to the days where we as Americans thought about the welfare of our furture. Just think of all the work that has been taken just by China alone never mind Budapest! Wake up America we are in the mist of an economic war and most of us dont even realize it.

Dear Mark,

International trade is not the root cause of your problems!

If you study basic economics, then you would know that free trade is beneficial for all parties involved. From the top of my head, I could suggest that you look into the ideas behind absolute, comparative, and relative advantages by Adam Smith and David Ricardo.

Instead of blaming me and the Chinese for your problems in the USA, maybe you should investigate the results of consuption on credit for example. I can help you get started: If you consume 100% of what you earn this month as well as 50% of what you earn next month, then you will have to work twice as much next month in order be able to consume at the same level as this month or accept that next month you will only be able to consume one third of what you got used to this month. It is simple econonomics and it is not my fault!

You could also point your finger at the mismanagement of Chrysler and other corporate dinosaurs in the US auto industry who never figured out that pushing large American gas guzzlers to a European market that has had a preference for small fuel efficient cars for more than 30 years is not not a question of unfair competition or that Europeans are too stupid to realize that US auto makers know better!

And the list of examples could go on and on...

Thank you for the lesson in economics; you did make some good points, most of which I was already aware of, before class!

Nevertheless, to resolve the huge credit crisis we are living through, we need all of the jobs we can get in the US, to be able to work twice as hard next month.

As far the corporate dinosaurs, aren't they also guilty of outsourcing most of their parts to foreign markets, in order to make a much larger profit on the gas guzzlers they can't sell?

Bottom line, I want my work to stay in my country as much as you'd like it to go to yours. I guess you and I will never agree on this point, since we both want the money in our own pocket at the end of the month (...to pay for twice the bills of next month)....Incidently, I am completely debt free, drive a small, fuel efficient car, and do not even have a mortgage to my name.