| |

Dentists Exposed to Asbestos Could Trigger Malignant Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Dentists Exposed to Asbestos Could Trigger Malignant MesotheliomaExperts have recommended a new plan to warn dentists exposed to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been found throughout the world. Asbestos is toxic and cancer-causing for human beings.

Dentists used asbestos in the manufacture of dental prostheses from the 1960s to 1970s. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after their exposure. It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear.

Experts have recommended a new plan to prevent asbestos exposure in dentistry. This recommendation was created under the EuropeAid Assessment Guidelines.

Experts also request the inclusion of the dental sector in the lists of professions with asbestos exposure.

A Long History of Mesothelioma

Asbestos use dates back to 3,000 years ago in ancient Egyptian clothes. The Greeks coined the term “asbestos” 2,000 years ago as inextinguishable.

The use of asbestos did not become popular until the Industrial Revolution. It was used all over during the First and Second World Wars.

It was not until 1955 that a report by Richard Doll showed that lung cancer was a hazard among asbestos workers. The risk for lung cancer among men employed for 20 or more years was 10-times higher than usual.

In the 1960s–1970s, asbestos was a known health hazard. Yet many countries continued to record the greatest asbestos use during this period.

Malignant asbestos diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer.

There is approximately one death caused by mesothelioma for every 130 tons of asbestos consumed. Models estimate more than 5 million deaths worldwide by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma in the Dental Industry

The use of asbestos was common in the manufacture of dental prostheses in the 1960s and 1970s. Dentists exposed to asbestos in the past could trigger the development of malignant mesothelioma.

Asbestos was used for the manufacture of several dental products. This included dental dressings and lining material for casting crowns, bridges, and more. A 1988 Laboratory Procedure Manual explains how to apply the asbestos material.

Experts are concerned about occupational hazard for dentists exposed, including technicians and dentists. An increase in mesothelioma has been predicted due to the long latency period.

It is possible that many dental professionals and patients were exposed to asbestos. The manifestation of occupational disease could be common in the dental profession.

A new study proposes a plan for the prevention of occupational risks due to dentists exposed to asbestos.

Dental Occupational Risk and Asbestos Exposure

Experts recommend an occupational risk prevention plan for asbestosis in dentistry. It is important to communicate the risks for dental professionals exposed to asbestos.

Dental professionals may have been exposed to the harmful effects of this material. A medical surveillance system may be useful in this case. It could health problems arising from asbestos exposure.

Although asbestos is banned in many countries, there are others where it is still permitted.

It is necessary to inform and train the dental profession. It is important to teach them about the possible risk of having been exposed to asbestos fibers.

Experts also request the inclusion of the dental sector in the lists of professions with exposure to asbestos.

Source

Anaya-Aguilar, C., Bravo, M., Magan-Fernandez, A., del Castillo-Salmerón, R., Rodríguez-Archilla, A., Montero, J., … & Anaya-Aguilar, R. (2022). Prevention of Occupational Hazards Due to Asbestos Exposure in Dentistry. A Proposal from a Panel of Experts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3153. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063153

Similar Posts

Mesothelioma Blood Test May Be Possible
|

Mesothelioma Blood Test May Be Possible

ByAlex Strauss

An international team of researchers is studying the proteins found on the surface of cancer cells in an effort to improve mesothelioma diagnosis. The team, made up of scientists from the US, Switzerland, Italy and Chile, has just published their findings on a new kind of test to identify protein-derived mesothelioma biomarkers in blood serum. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the membranes around organs. Because the most common mesothelioma biomarker, mesothelin, is also overproduced by other kinds of cancer cells, it has only limited diagnostic value. A test to identify a set of proteins produced specifically by mesothelioma cells could greatly improve diagnostic accuracy. Led by Ferdinando Cerciello and Bernd Wollscheid of the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology in…

Needle Biopsy “Simple, Safe & Accurate” for Mesothelioma
| |

Needle Biopsy “Simple, Safe & Accurate” for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma researchers in China say a biopsy method that involves a single skin puncture can produce good diagnostic results for mesothelioma patients with little pain or risk. The study focused on percutaneous (through the skin) biopsy in patients who had unexplained fluid buildup or swelling in their abdomens. Abdominal distension and fluid buildup (called ascites) can be signs of peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer of the abdominal lining caused by exposure to asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for less than 30% of all mesothelioma cases. Because the symptoms may be vague and often develop many decades after asbestos exposure, peritoneal mesothelioma can be especially challenging to diagnose.  Misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis are not uncommon. In the newest study on percutaneous…

Mesothelioma Case Shows Danger of Accidental Asbestos Exposure
|

Mesothelioma Case Shows Danger of Accidental Asbestos Exposure

ByAlex Strauss

A mesothelioma case in Birmingham, England is a dramatic illustration of the very real danger of hidden asbestos. The widow of a physician who died of mesothelioma last year at the age of 51 claims her husband was exposed to asbestos just walking to and from his medical classes. Monisha Coelho believes that exposed asbestos insulation in the underground hallways that connect the University of Birmingham to buildings on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital campus triggered Dr. Ian Pardoe’s mesothelioma. In an article in the Birmingham Mail, Coelho explained how her husband decided how and where the deadly exposure had occurred. “Ian thought long and hard about where he might have come into contact with asbestos,” Coelho told the paper. “He…

Inflammation Both “Friend and Foe” in Mesothelioma
| |

Inflammation Both “Friend and Foe” in Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

An immune system response that causes mesothelioma symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and weight loss may also be helpful to clinicians as a way to find and treat the disease. Scientists with The Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in Sydney, Australia make that case that both systemic inflammation (throughout the body) and at the site of a tumor – has long been associated with mesothelioma and other cancers. Inflammation results when the body attempts to address the imbalances of cancer by producing more of certain immune system cells. Some inflammatory markers, such as CD+8 T-cells and C-reactive protein, have been linked to better prognosis in mesothelioma. Other inflammatory markers, such as certain macrophages and a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, can signal the…

Short-term Asbestos Exposure Triggers Mesothelioma
|

Short-term Asbestos Exposure Triggers Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The recent death of a British man from mesothelioma is evidence of the destructive power of asbestos – even when exposure is short.  A British newspaper reports that Welwyn resident Roger Beale first began experiencing a classic symptom of mesothelioma, shortness of breath, nearly 4 years ago. Beale first noticed the problem while walking up stairs. After a chest X-ray, Beale’s symptoms were attributed to a chest infection.  But when his symptoms continued to worsen, Beale sought medical care again in January, 2010 and was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, an intractable cancer of the lung lining that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. By November of 2010, Beale’s shortness of breath had gotten worse, despite regular monitoring and…

New Prognostic Factor in Peritoneal Mesothelioma
|

New Prognostic Factor in Peritoneal Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare form of mesothelioma that attacks the membrane that lines the abdomen and surrounds internal organs. The outlook for this rare malignancy, which affects fewer than 500 Americans annually, has been improved by the treatment combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The combination has produced 5-year overall survival rates ranging from 29% to 63%. But not all peritoneal mesothelioma patients are good candidates for CRS/HIPEC. The challenge, for clinicians, is identifying which patients are likely to benefit from the procedure (or even be cured) and which are not. In an effort to help answer that question, French researchers recently tested the prognostic value of the glucose transporter protein GLUT1 as well as…