Toxicity of resin-matrix composites in dentistry

: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: This systematic review aims to comprehensively explore the factors contributing to the toxicity associated with resin-based dental materials and to establish clinical criteria that reduce the release of residual monomers. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA criteria. A PICO question was established: Which factors(C) influence the toxicity (O) of dental resin composites (I) in humans (P), and what are their local or systemic adverse effects (O)? and a bibliographic review was performed in three databases, PubMed, Cochrane Central and Web of Science. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to retrieve articles in the last 20 years, in English language. Results: A total of 1261 articles were retrieved from the three electronic databases. Following the elimination of duplicates, a total of 1227 articles remained for further selection by title and abstract. After which 20 articles were subjected to comprehensive reading, 12 articles were included and 8 were excluded. The analysis of the selected articles indicated that low levels of monomers were detected in the participants´ saliva and urine, suggesting relatively low local and systemic toxicity. Conclusions: In all the selected studies, the changes observed were not considered significant enough to substantially affect a patient's health, however, the adherence to manufacturer’s instructions is important. If preventive measures are followed, including adequate photopolymerization for the appropriate exposure time, a higher degree of monomer conversion can be guaranteed. This, in turn, results in a lower release of free monomers and thus a lower probability of any type of toxicity occurring.

Date of Award	26 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rita Fidalgo-Pereira (Supervisor), Patrícia Nunes Correia (Co-Supervisor) & Ana Peixoto Gomes (Co-Supervisor)