Dental composites - a low-dose source of bisphenol A?

Dental composite materials often contain monomers with bisphenol A (BPA) structure in their molecules, e.g. bisphenol-A glycidyl dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA). In this study, it was examined whether dental restorative composites could be a low-dose source of BPA or alternative bisphenols, which are known to have endocrine-disrupting effects. Bis-GMA-containing composites Charisma Classic (CC) and Filtek Ultimate Universal Restorative (FU) and "BPA-free" Charisma Diamond (CD) and Admira Fusion (AF) were examined. Specimens (diameter 6 mm, height 2 mm, n=5) were light-cured from one side for 20 s and stored at 37 °C in methanol which was periodically changed over 130 days to determine the kinetics of BPA release. BPA concentrations were measured using a dansyl chloride derivatization method with liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry detection. The amounts of BPA were expressed in nanograms per gram of composite (ng/g). BPA release from Bis-GMA-containing CC and FU was significantly higher compared to "BPA-free" CD and AF. The highest 1-day release was detected with FU (15.4+/-0.8 ng/g), followed by CC (9.1+/-1.1 ng/g), AF (2.1+/-1.3 ng/g), and CD (1.6+/-0.8 ng/g), and the release gradually decreased over the examined period. Detected values were several orders of magnitude below the tolerable daily intake (4 microg/kg body weight/day). Alternative bisphenols were not detected. BPA was released even from "BPA-free" composites, although in significantly lower amounts than from Bis-GMA-containing composites. Despite incubation in methanol, detected amounts of BPA were substantially lower than current limits suggesting that dental composites should not pose a health risk if adequately polymerized.