Lead Levels in the Primary Teeth of Children in Tehran, Iran
Objective: Young children are very susceptible to the toxic effects of lead, one of the most common pollutants in the environment. Therefore, monitoring the level of lead in primary teeth to prevent its harmful effects might be necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate lead concentrations among all types of primary teeth and to determine if age could affect the lead levels in primary teeth. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 250 shed or nearing exfoliation caries-free primary teeth were collected from patients, aged 6-12 years old, in dental clinics of Tehran, Iran from 2009 to 2010. The lead concentrations in these teeth were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Result: Primary canines showed the highest mean concentration of lead [1.67 ± 0.75 μg/g dry weight (DW)], followed by incisors (1.15 ± 0.74 μg/g DW) and molars (0.78 ± 0.59 μg/g DW). Statistically significant differences were seen between canines and molars (P=0.000) and also between canines and incisors (P=0.036). The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test showed no significant differences between lead levels regarding age (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that tooth type affected the tooth-lead level concentrations. Mean concentration of lead in primary canines was higher than that in incisors and molars in the studied society. Our results suggested that age was not related to the lead concentration in human primary teeth.
