Cheap dental crowns from China may contain dangerous levels of LEAD

One thing is for certain - we need more checks on goods coming from China.


Dentists who use cut-price and potentially deadly crowns and dentures from China are putting their patients at risk, it was claimed today.

The products are often made in unregulated laboratories and can contain dangerous levels of lead, dental experts warned.


In the U.S., four cases of lead poisoning have been linked to Chinese dental fixtures. A laboratory test revealed that some contained 210 times the acceptable amount of the toxic metal.


Richard Daniels, the chief executive of the Dental Laboratories Association, said the number of potentially dangerous imports was rising.

"At this point nobody knows what the health risks are," he said.

"The fact is the majority of NHS work will be coming from China or India in the next five years. We need to be moving towards proper regulation of the industry.

"It's not just a matter for the NHS either - many of the big corporate groups also have agreements with factories in China to make their fixtures."

Fears over the toxic metal content of crowns, veneers, bridges and dentures were raised when a 73-year- old Ohio woman became sick after being given a new crown made in China.

Subsequent tests on other Chinese crowns revealed that some had dangerous levels of lead, forcing the U.S. National Association of Dental Laboratories to issue a warning to patients.



Read the article here.