Scientific Reports (Nov 2022)

Elemental analysis of contemporary dental materials regarding potential beryllium content

  • F. Burkhardt,
  • S. Pieralli,
  • T. Bergfeldt,
  • G. Wemken,
  • C. Wesemann,
  • D. Stolz,
  • B. C. Spies

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21068-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Exposure to beryllium (Be) can lead to lung pathologies, such as chronic beryllium disease (CBD). This occupational illness has been more prevalent among dental technicians compared to the non-exposed population. Although most manufacturers state that dental materials are Be-free, this prevalence raises the question of whether the materials are completely devoid of Be-traces. Thus, the objective of the present study was to analyze the elemental composition, with emphasis on Be, of a wide range of commercially available dental materials frequently used by dental laboratories. Samples of 32 different materials were collected and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that the Be content was below the limit of quantification in all included samples (< 0.00005 mass-%). Therefore, it can be concluded that possible traces of Be were below clinical relevance in dental materials. Exposure of dental technicians to alternative Be sources should be further evaluated.