Amalgam Use in Pregnancy: A Survey of Nigerian Dentists

Abstract

Background: Some European countries have guidelines which suggest that women should not receive mercury containing dental amalgam fillings during pregnancy. The rationale for this was based on the fact that amalgam contains and releases mercury which has been associated with fetal growth retardation, increase in the rate of birth defects, infertility and miscarriage in animal model.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of dentists with regards to amalgam use in pregnancy
Methods: This study was a questionnaire-based, descriptive cross-sectional study of dentists in public and private dental clinics in the South- South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. The analysis was done using frequency distribution, cross-tabulations and test of significance with chi square. Results were considered to be statistically significant if p <0.05.
Results: Most of the respondents were in the age group 26-30 years with 62.2 % of them males giving a male female ratio of 1:0.6. A little above half (53.2%) of the respondents thought that amalgam does not pose any risk to the fetus if amalgam fillings are placed during pregnancy. A majority (78.2%) reported having placed amalgam filling in pregnant women. More respondents placed amalgam fillings as their level and duration of training increased.
Conclusion: Nigerian dentists are generally comfortable placing amalgam fillings in pregnant women notwithstanding the controversies surrounding the use of amalgam.

Key words: amalgam, pregnancy, dentist, knowledge