Recent articles have reviewed research reports on salivary BPA levels and provide a good perspective on the contribution of BPA exposure from dental materials. The findings of studies using current Bis-GMA-based composites and sealants showed that the acute BPA exposure levels associated with sealant placement were a minimum of 50,000–100,000 times lower than the daily recommended exposure limit for adults set by current EPA and NTP guidelines [21, 22]. Thus, exposure levels from dental materials alone are considered to be safe.

So what should be done? As with any biocompatibility issue, the decision to use these materials is a decision of risk to benefit ratio. The oral health benefits from these materials are well established [23–25]. Because the data on BPA levels and safety remains complex, it seems prudent to limit the exposure contribution from dental materials to these most vulnerable populations as much as possible. Some commonsense guidelines have been suggested in dealing with these issues [26]: Limit elective placement of dental sealant and composite resin restorations in pregnant women. When possible, choose materials that are BPA-free. In pregnant women and children, use precautionary application techniques when restorations or sealants are placed to limit BPA exposure. These techniques are aimed at removing the unpolymerized material on the surface and have been shown to return BPA levels to baseline, greatly reducing the acute, short-term BPA exposure associated with sealant placement [27, 28].

Because of the high profile of BPA safety in the press, many patients may express concerns about the use of these dental materials. The ADA recently published some guidelines to help the dental practitioner address these concerns [21].