WATERTOWN, Mssachusetts--There is renewed concern over the potential health hazards of Bisphenol A, a common additive to plastics and a by-product of the chemical Bis-GMA.

Bis-GMA is an ingredient in many dental resins and pit and fissure sealants. Pulpdent EMBRACE Pit and Fissure Sealant and WetBond resins contain no BPA.

The BPA controversy has surfaced again due to a May 31 article in the Toronto Globe and Mail entitled "Are plastic products coated in peril." The newspaper states: "Bisphenol A, which is used to make many plastics, can be found in a number of consumer products, from dental sealants for children to compact disks. BPA has been known to be a synthetic mimic of the female estrogen hormone." (Emphasis added.)

The article explains that "practically everyone is exposed to minute quantities, typically in parts per trillion" and that "BPA's ability to cause effects at extremely small amounts presents a major challenge to health standards based on high-dose tests. The U.S. experiments that set the standard, for example, used exposures more than a million times higher than the levels researchers have since determined can harm lab animals."

While the BPA controversy is likely to continue, concerned practitioners have the alternative to use Embrace WetBond Pit and Fissure Sealant and other Embrace resins without fear of exposing patients to BPA.

Pulpdent manufactures high-quality products for the dental profession, including adhesives, composites, sealants, cements, etching gels, calcium hydroxide products, endodontic specialties, and bonding accessories.

For more information, call (800) 343-4342 or visit www.pulpdent.com.