The project aims to evaluate whether inhalation of particles released upon grinding of dental composites may pose a health hazard to dentists. The main objective of the study was to characterize the dust from polymer-based dental composites ground with different grain sized burs and investigate particle uptake and the potential cytotoxic effects in human bronchial cells.

Polymer-based dental restorative materials are designed to polymerize in situ. However, the conversion of methacrylate monomer to polymer is never complete, and leakage of the monomer occurs. It has been shown that these monomers are toxic in vitro; hence concerns regarding exposure of patients and dental personnel have been raised.

Artikkelens hensikt er å belyse toksisiteten av utvalgte metakrylatmonomerer i modeller som kan relateres til cellulære mål in vivo. En cellelinje med opphav fra spyttkjertel-epitel og primære epiltelceller fra rottelunge ble valgt som relevante modellsystemer. Monomerene 2- hydroxyetylmetakrylat (HEMA) og trietylenglykoldimetakrylat (TEGDMA) er to metakrylater som er mye brukt i resinbaserte tannbehandlingsmaterialer, og cellekulturene ble eksponert for disse i varierende konsentrasjon og varighet.

The methacrylate monomer 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) is commonly used in resin-based dental restorative materials. These materials are cured in situ and HEMA and other monomers have been identified in ambient air during dental surgery. In vitro studies have demonstrated a toxic potential of methacrylates, and concerns have been raised regarding possible health effects due to inhalation. In this study we have investigated the mechanisms of HEMA-induced toxicity in the human lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B..