Trial reportEnvironmental health perspectives2008
Renal effects of dental amalgam in children: the New England children's amalgam trial.
Trial report in Environmental health perspectives, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- Direct composite resin fillings versus amalgam fillings for permanent posterior teeth.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Environmental exposures and pediatric kidney function and disease: A systematic review.Environmental research · 2017Pooled it
- Dental composite materials and renal function in children.British dental journal · 2014Trial
- Associations Between Toxic Metal Exposure and Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome.Kidney international reports · 2026Article
- The Impact of Mercury from Dental Amalgams on Pregnancy and Childhood: A Health and Risk Assessment Evaluation.Current medicinal chemistry · 2025Review
- Nephrotoxic Biomarkers with Specific Indications for Metallic Pollutants: Implications for Environmental Health.Biomarker insights · 2022Review
- Is Dental Amalgam a Higher Risk Factor rather than Resin-Based Restorations for Systemic Conditions? A Systematic Review.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Levels of Mercury in Fish-Eating Children, With and Without Amalgam Restoration.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2019Article
- Unusual complication of an Alaskan cruise: thinking outside the box.BMJ case reports · 2019Article
- Biomarkers of mercury toxicity: Past, present, and future trends.Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part B, Critical reviews · 2017Review
- Toxic environmental exposures and kidney health in children.Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany) · 2016Review
- Sources of Mercury Exposure to Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Journal of health & pollution · 2015Review
- A 24-month evaluation of amalgam and resin-based composite restorations: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) · 2013Article
- The dental amalgam toxicity fear: a myth or actuality.Toxicology international · 2012Article
- Biocompatibility of dental amalgams.International journal of dentistry · 2011Article
- Mercury exposure and children's health.Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care · 2010Review
- Non-drug-induced nephrotoxicity.Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany) · 2009Review
- Nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and mercury exposure among children with and without dental amalgam fillings.International journal of hygiene and environmental health · 2009Article
- Biomarkers of kidney integrity in children and adolescents with dental amalgam mercury exposure: findings from the Casa Pia children's amalgam trial.Environmental research · 2008Article
- Mercury exposure levels in children with dental amalgam fillings.International journal of clinical pediatric dentistryArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMercury is nephrotoxic and dental amalgam is a source of mercury exposure.
methodsChildren 6-10 years of age (n = 534) with two or more posterior teeth with caries but no prior amalgam restorations, were randomized to one of two treatments--amalgam or resin composite (white fillings)--used for caries treatment during 5 years of follow-up. The primary outcome was change in IQ, but important secondary outcomes were effects on markers of glomerular and tubular kidney function: urinary excretion of albumin, alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT), and N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). These markers were measured on several occasions during the trial, together with urinary mercury and covariates. We evaluated the results using repeated-measures analyses.
resultsThere were no significant differences between treatment groups in average levels of renal biomarkers, nor significant effects of number of dental amalgams on these markers. There was, however, a significantly increased prevalence of microalbuminuria (MA) among children in the amalgam group in years 3-5 (adjusted odds ratio 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.9). Most of these cases are likely to be temporary MA, but 10 children in the amalgam group had MA in both years 3 and 5, versus 2 children in the composite group (p = 0.04). There were no differences in the occurrence of high levels of renal tubular markers (A1M, gamma-GT, or NAG).
conclusionsThe increase in MA may be a random finding, but should be tested further. The results did not support recent findings in an observational study of an effect of low-level mercury on tubular biomarkers in children.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.