Dental Amalgam and Multiple Sclerosis: A Case-control Study

Abstract

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease, which is associated with demyelination of neurons and which involves various parts of the central nervous system (CNS). Many genetic and environmental factors are taken into consideration in the etiology of this disease. Among the environmental factors affecting MS are heavy metals, such as mercury in dental amalgam. According to studies, blood serum mercury levels are higher in people affected by MS than in normal people. The aim of this study was to compare amalgam fillings and number of involved dental surfaces between MS patients and normal people. Materials and methods: The present study was a cross-sectional case-control study conducted in Al-Zahra MS Clinic and Isfahan MS Association. A total of 174 patients suffering from MS, and 174 normal people were selected for this study. Information, such as the number of amalgam fillings, the number of filling surfaces, tooth type, and duration of filling was recorded. Results: The results showed that 73.1 of patients were women, and the mean number of amalgam fillings (p = 0.027), and the mean number of amalgam filling surfaces were greater in people suffering from MS than in normal people (p = 0.003), but the difference in dental caries was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.292). Conclusion: It seems that dental amalgam and the number of involved surfaces are among the factors associated with MS disease such that the number of dental amalgam fillings and the number of filling surfaces were significantly greater, and levels of exposure to amalgam fillings were significantly higher in people affected by MS than in normal people.