BPA and Your Child’s Enamel

Bisphenol A is a manmade carbon-based compound used to make many plastics. Plastics containing bisphenol A, or BPA, have been commercially used for more than 50 years. BPA can be found in plastic water or soda bottles and other common food packaging. The material has proven to have generally negative effects on human health, especially when encountered during the earlier developmental stages. Some studies have gone so far as to find a connection between prenatal exposure and later neurological problems. In 2012 use of the material was banned in the making  baby bottles.

Most recently a study has tied BPA to tooth damage. In the study the teeth of rats were treated with small doses of BPA. They also treated the teeth of newborn rats and observed acute sensitivity during this developmental period.

Examining the teeth of the treated rats, scientists identified characteristics of MIH or molar incisor hypomineralisation, a qualitative defect of molars. MIH can cause a breakdown of the affected tooth’s structure. It can also cause sensitivity, pain and susceptibility to cavities. All of this is brought on by fragile, brittle enamel. The period during which these affected teeth are formed is also when we are most sensitive to the negative effects of BPA. While MIH is painful and something you would aim to avoid on its own, the results of the study are also being viewed as a warning sign. That is, if someone was exposed to enough BPA as a child to damage their enamel (something a dentist can regularly recognize), then maybe they can be checked prematurely for other negative, more serious conditions thought to be associated with BPA.

If you’re looking for advice on what safe, BPA-free product alternatives to offer your children ask your dentist. Make an appointment today with Dr. Arzegar at Lifetime Smiles today and keep on top of your family’s dental health.