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DENTIST: SEALANTS CONTAIN BPA
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 -- 10:42 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
 Some dentists are rethinking their use of plastic sealants.
"A sealant is a coating that we put on the back teeth, explains Dr. Tom Gelhaus, "It fills in the grooves - we call them pits and fissures - that's where we get a lot of decay."
Studies suggest children with sealed teeth are eight times less likely to get cavities than those with no sealant.
But, most of the sealants are made with clear plastics which may contain bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical believed to mimic estrogen in the human body.
"That's not something you want children ingesting or eating," he says. "Unfortunately, these sealants we've been putting in for all these years have BPA in them."
Gelhaus says he’s switched to a glass ionomer sealant that does the trick with none of the risks associated with BPA. "It's inert. There's no affect on your body. If it gets in your system, it goes right through."
Not all dentists have made the switch, and parents may want to ask their provider about sealants.
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