Document 2R1nKadn82ZBZboLd2VD1e3jN

FILE NAME: Dental Asbestos (DEN) DATE: 1967 June 6 DOC#: DEN001 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Journal Article - Journal of the British Dental Association - The Possible Adverse Effects of Asbestos in Gingivectomy Packs \] t DENT JOUR Il J Ii Volume 122 * Number 11 June 6 1967 . 3 s 1 The Salivary and Thyroid Glands .. .. D. K. Mason R. McG. Harden I W. D. Alexander & 0 Thermal Behaviour of Silica and its Application to ; r' I Dental Investments ........................................Derek W. Jones r 3 The Geographical Distribution of Dental Care in the Paula J. Cook I United K in g d o m .................................................... R. 0. Walker Molybdenum and Dental C a r i e s ...........................G. Nell Jenkins President's Address at the Opening of the TwentyFifth Session of the General Dental Council .. Sir Robert Bradiaw I The Possible Adverse Effects of Asbestos in jj Gingivectomy Packs ....................................... M . R . Y , Dyer New Technique for Silicate Fillings .. .. H. J. E/sey 5 I A full list of the contents will be found on page ii The Journal of the British Dental Association s? ll ODJ, vC F p~l F- 8 r-> {A T f3 r|3 A :5 o 9 fcjfe THE POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ASBESTOS IN GINGIVECTOMY PACKS "M . R. Y. D Y J 5 R n . n . s . If. ASncsTux libres, sometimes used in p.ingReciomy p;ieks, may i inhaled, seriously endanger the liealih. Such inhala!ion is made the more likely because the chairsido assistant usually shakes the bcilic containing the dry constituents o f the pack so ;k;u cm opening the bottle a cloud ot'dusi is emitted. T'nat the asbestos contained in this; dust cloud could ULsilv he inhaled was demonstrated by placing 's microscope slides (conned in egg album in to aid tiest adhesion) adjacent to the pack m ixing are;, at tabic height and at inhalation level 3 feet above the kiicdu o f the table. Gingiveclonyy packs were then prepared w ith and w ithout shaking the bottle. In both cases asbestos libres were observed on slides at the two heights, thus demonstrating that the ili.-tribuhnn o f asbestos fibre in air is not dependent on shaking the bottle. t5.:r. Microscope slides placed 5 minutes after the , cfirnrnerK'Cinent o f mixing, and allowed lo collect %' r ciui.t fo r 5 minutes, did not show any asbeslos T libres. The inhalation o f asbestos may have one o f three I- olivis : (1) A\hr<iu.\is. '! his is pulmonary fibrosis and focal ti alveolar wall thickening associated w ith asbestos bodies. Asbestos bodies are asbestos particles surrounded by an iron p ro tcn complex, i-) 1 uux C u n a r . The association between asbestof& sis and lung cancer was first shown to exist by Jloyne (1955). ami lias later been confirmed by many o<hers. D o ll (.1035) found Thai in 105 necrop sies o i; asbestos workers, there were 18 eases ol lung cancer, 15 o f which were in association with 'ohcstOsis. The association o f asbestosis and lung mice! -N strengthened hv the fuel that the m ajonly ol these turnouts occur m the lower lobes ol the lung, w here the changes o f Usbcsb.wk are most `wvejij ( i'vsdbadier c l t i l , 1953.) 1lie king cancels may be o f any histological type, m k riv .i! ciiioma being the most common. ' 3 ; A f , v ; i h c l n i n 't i T h is is a m a lig n a n t d ise a se tf o i . g i n n l i n c i n m e s o r h e l i u m . W h e n a s s o c ia te d w ith ash e -- i n ' , 11 . i e c i s I he* p l e u r a and p e rito n e u m . II., ; ! ! n - . r . , a ! T i c n l r . , i l < \ i l . e r C O p n ' o l . S c h o o l . J w i l d o n , J 1 Wagner cl al. (1%0) found that 32 o f 33 patients wilh histologically proved pleural mesothcliomata had been exposed to asbestos. ,1Jourilutnc (1964) found true diffuse mesothelio ma (a in 83 necropsies, and d r e w attention to the relationship between contact w ith asbestos and this disease. Newhousc and Thompson (1965) studied the social histories o f 71 o f these 83 paLients, At least 51 had proven conlaci w ith asbestos. Often the contact w ith asbestos was lim ited to living near an asbestos factory, or being (he relative ol' an asbestos worker. Mounhnne (1964) says. 'M any cases [o f mesotheliomat:xj gave no history (>f industrial exposure [to asbestos], and it is possible that temporary or relatively trivial exposure may have occurred,' - There arc three principal types ol asbestos in use industrially, Chrysotile. which represents T U per cent o f the w orld's production, crocicloiuc, and amosile. Medical w oolly asbestos (B .D .IIJ often used in gingivaelomy packs is prepared from crude chrysotile, There is no evidence to suggest, that llicsc different types have different clfeets for the W orking Group on Asbestos and Cancer (International Union Against Cancer) decided (1965) that `The evidence indicates that the associated cancers o f the lung arc not lim ited to exposure to any one type o f asbestos fil.uek Clearly, the dentist, who during a lifetime o f practise mav expose himself and his assistants to considerable quantities o f asbestos is faced with the inevitable conclusion that in the light o f the present medical evidence the use o f gingivoctoray packs containing asbestos should be discontinued. Pre ferably, one o f the several commercially available preparations which do not contain this poa-niiallv dangerous material should be used. KH-HO.Nt i s Dull. U. I h h . J h u h , ! ' V'-vA, l i . SI. ( >ltj sj)r. S, K. ( ! r'35i T i ' t 'i ' r r l c O'.Jifi//,). I 7, '. Umii.unms r>. 'o . h . 11%' i r j t o u : \ , Ivtoliifichor, K, J.. Kl:tir>, Il~ :m<j lhiTb. (I. I.. 'A 15, 7 7 ) . , N '`wJ|ih im ', M , I .., .Mid i TI. f j {JGc .' K n l . I u u ( u i t r . .-M. W u 'iijj. J . C., Sic?!/'. <\ A nntt V1,rvli:wi(l. 1' ( P '0i ) < n l Mi,!., 7. 7.MI ^ j Wi>r|* t/t>- nr A ',}>< J\/i, :tml ( .im.'t.T ( i ' ^ j ' l i n . " HUH, JI. !. '/Y<' A//-.7. 2.2, j :*nltj<:r. <n n r o / t / i i , x4i1 ? Y JttNr 6 1967 407