Bisphenol A in your teeth

As usual, Canada is way ahead on the ever-dynamic bisphenol-A plastics story. Since it banned BPA from baby bottles and labeled it an official "toxic" last week, the country has been pushing the envelope (or should I say chomping the bit?) on the science and reporting fronts. Here's the latest from the Toronto Globe and Mail on dental fillings:

Some studies have found detectable levels of BPA in the saliva of patients after they received sealants or fillings, but experts are divided as to whether this low exposure constitutes a health risk.

Dental associations are rushing to defend the use of the materials, saying patients' exposure to BPA appears to be low and limited to the period immediately after treatment.

Docs say the fillings appear safe, but some dentists are preferring to be cautious.

See here for another good story from the same paper on how to dispose of all the now-illegal bottles.

And finally, from the New York Times, a business piece about companies making or selling alternatives to BPA. These include Tritan, Sigg, Camelbak and Born Free.

The Skinny: We recommend dropping the extra buck for BPA-free water bottles (ditto the baby bottles, which cost even more). As to dentistry, why not go for non-toxic if you can? When we raised the BPA issue with our dentist last year, he looked at us like we needed to be permanently hooked up to laughing gas. However, the tide is turning, as the Canadian dentists at least now realize...