Posted on 5/9/2017
MILAN, Italy: Dental technicians could be at an increased risk of developing asbestos-related cancer, Italian researchers have suggested. According to their study results, past exposure to materials formerly used in the manufacture of dental prostheses could trigger the much-later development of malignant mesothelioma, a type of cancer that most often affects the pulmonary pleurae and less commonly the peritoneum.
Asbestos, a proven cause of cancer, was a widely used material in construction products, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. In dentistry, it was used as a binder in periodontal dressings and as lining material for casting rings and crucibles.
The Italian researchers, experts in environmental science and occupational health, conducted an analysis of more than 5,000 pl...