The safety and biocompatibility of direct aesthetic restorative materials

• Published in: British dental journal Vol. 232; no. 9; pp. 611 - 614
• Main Authors: Hatton, Paul V., Mulligan, Steven, Martin, Nicolas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13.05.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; Dentistry; Medical device industry; Medical equipment; Monomers; Opinion; Patients; Side effects; Vigilance
• ISSN: 0007-0610; 1476-5373; 1476-5373
• DOI: 10.1038/s41415-022-4198-6

Restorative dental materials are among the most important medical devices in terms of the numbers of patients who benefit and the technical sophistication of the products. Many though contain toxic or noxious substances, including potentially sensitising resin monomers, photoinitiators, acidic polymers and glass or ceramic filler particles. Despite this, dental materials are among the safest medical devices in use today, with very few reports of adverse reactions or injuries among both patients or the dental team. This paper considers the potential for adverse reactions to dental materials, current evidence for harm and finally examines the reasons why in real-world clinical use the likelihood of an adverse event is extremely low. Medical devices regulations, responsible manufacture and clinical vigilance all appear to play important roles in ensuring that dental materials do not cause or present a risk to patients. While this excellent in-practice safety record is welcome, there is now increasing interest in the 'macro' scale biocompatibility of dental materials and their packaging in the environment, subjects that have been relatively neglected until recently. It was concluded that this should be a priority for future research and development and support is needed from governments alongside the manufacturing industry and the profession. Key points Dental materials contain hazardous substances; they are, however, very safe. Dental materials are safe because of the combined efforts of regulators, the manufacturing industry and the dental team. Clinicians and the wider dental community need to remain vigilant and also start to consider the issue of 'macro-biocompatibility' in the context of sustainable oral healthcare.