Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107091

Jerome Nriagu, PhD¹, Brian A. Burt, PhD², Aaron Linder³, Amid Ismail⁴, and Woosung Sohn⁴. (1) Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 109 Oabservatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-936-0706, jnriagu@umich.edu, (2) Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, (3) Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, (4) School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, 1011 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078

The role of trace metals in the development of tooth decay remains equivocal. Our study examined the relationships between dental caries and salivary levels of As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. Saliva samples were obtained from 971 adult African-American participants with household income below the 200th percentile of the federal poverty level. The trace metals were measured by means of an ICP/MS method. The surface of each tooth was categorized as sound, with incipient caries, with caries confined to enamel, early dentinal involvement, distinct dentinal caries, or open cavitation. The cross-sectional study also included an interview designed to explore the confounding influence of demographic characteristics including age, gender, educational level, and exposure to cigarette smoke on cariogenesis. The population studied suffered extensively from dental caries, with only 0.5% showing no clinical signs of caries. Over 80% of the adult participants had cavitated carious lesions (i.e., lesions that had progressed into dentin). The participants on average had lost 3.4 teeth, and they averaged 9.4 untreated cavitated lesions each and when all lesions were included, this number ballooned to nearly 30/person. Multiple regression analyses were used to show significant associations between salivary metal levels and the degree of dental caries, suggesting that environmental and/or dietary exposures to trace metals may be an important contributor to the high burden of dental caries in poor and minority communities of this country. The mechanisms for the cariostatic effects of the various trace metals are not fully understood.

Learning Objectives:

• Poor and minority communities in this country experience a disproportionately high burden of dental caries. Factors responsible for this disparity in caries are not well understood and this study suggests that environmental (including dietary) exposure to trace metals may be a risk factor for the high caries prevalence.

Keywords: African American, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.