Microleakage of Amalgam Restorations after Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields of a Commercial Hair Dryer: An Ex-Vivo Study

PAPER manual J Biomed Phys Eng 2025 Exposure assessment Effect: mixed Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2210-1551 Evidence Lab

Abstract

Category: Dentistry, Electromagnetic Field Safety, Experimental Research Tags: amalgam, microleakage, electromagnetic fields, hair dryer, dental restoration, EMF safety, ex-vivo study DOI: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2210-1551 URL: jbpe.sums.ac.ir Overview Dental amalgam remains a widely used restorative material for posterior teeth. However, modern electrical appliances such as hair dryers emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) which may impact the amalgam-tooth interface, potentially increasing microleakage. Objective This experimental study aimed to determine if EMFs produced by commercial hair dryers can affect the microleakage of amalgam restorations. Methods - 100 human extracted teeth were prepared with class V cavities on their buccal aspects. - Teeth were randomized into five groups (G1-G5, 20 per group). - Group 1 (control) received no treatment, while Groups 2-5 were exposed to EMFs from a 2000W hair dryer at 220V/50Hz under varying "Hot Air" and "Cool Air" protocols and distances. - Microleakage was quantified using dye penetration measurement. Findings - Groups G2, G3, and G5, which were exposed to EMFs, showed significantly higher microleakage scores compared to the control (P=0.001, 0.002, and 0.01). - G4 did not show a significant difference from the control. - G2 (Hot Air/10cm/20min) had greater microleakage than G4 (Cool Air/10cm/20min). Conclusion This study demonstrates a clear link: EMFs from commonly used devices like hair dryers can induce increased microleakage in dental amalgam restorations, compromising dental health and restoration integrity. It is important to recognize that everyday EMF exposure can pose real health risks in dental materials.

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Exposure assessment

Effect direction

mixed

Population

Human extracted teeth with class V cavities restored with dental amalgam (ex-vivo)

Sample size

100

Exposure

commercial hair dryer · 20 min (for at least some protocols); varying protocols/distances

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 78% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

In an ex-vivo experiment with 100 extracted human teeth, several hair-dryer EMF exposure conditions (G2, G3, G5) showed significantly higher microleakage scores than the unexposed control, while one exposed group (G4) did not differ significantly from control. Hot Air/10 cm/20 min (G2) produced greater microleakage than Cool Air/10 cm/20 min (G4).

Outcomes measured

Microleakage of amalgam restorations (dye penetration scores)

Limitations

Ex-vivo design using extracted teeth (not in vivo clinical outcomes)
Exposure characterization is incomplete in the abstract (no measured field strength; only device power/voltage/frequency and distance/protocols mentioned)
Specific exposure parameters for each group (G2–G5) are not fully detailed in the abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
    "exposure": {
        "band": null,
        "source": "commercial hair dryer",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "20 min (for at least some protocols); varying protocols/distances"
    },
    "population": "Human extracted teeth with class V cavities restored with dental amalgam (ex-vivo)",
    "sample_size": 100,
    "outcomes": [
        "Microleakage of amalgam restorations (dye penetration scores)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "In an ex-vivo experiment with 100 extracted human teeth, several hair-dryer EMF exposure conditions (G2, G3, G5) showed significantly higher microleakage scores than the unexposed control, while one exposed group (G4) did not differ significantly from control. Hot Air/10 cm/20 min (G2) produced greater microleakage than Cool Air/10 cm/20 min (G4).",
    "effect_direction": "mixed",
    "limitations": [
        "Ex-vivo design using extracted teeth (not in vivo clinical outcomes)",
        "Exposure characterization is incomplete in the abstract (no measured field strength; only device power/voltage/frequency and distance/protocols mentioned)",
        "Specific exposure parameters for each group (G2–G5) are not fully detailed in the abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7800000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "amalgam",
        "microleakage",
        "electromagnetic fields",
        "hair dryer",
        "dental restoration",
        "ex-vivo"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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