JCDA January 2014 | Page 7

jcda News & Updates ca ESSENTIAL DENTAL KNOWLEDGE Published by The Canadian Dental Association A Canadian Study jadc DES CONNAISSANCES DENTAIRES INDISPENSABLES Do Amalgam Fillings Affect Mercury Levels in Urine? Publié par l’Association dentaire canadienne Canadians are not exposing themselves to unsafe levels of mercury due to their dental amalgam restorations, according to a study1 published in BMC Oral Health. U sing data from the 2007/09 Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) the research team assessed the relationship between mean urinary mercury concentration in the general Canadian population and the number of amalgam surfaces. The researchers also reviewed data on mercury levels for males and females and for different age groups. The results show that overall mean mercury concentration was well below levels associated with an 䁡