title: Morphology of enamel in primary teeth from children in Thailand exposed to environmental lead.
abstract: Lead is one of the major environmental pollutants and a health risk. Dental hard tissues have a capacity to accumulate lead from the environment. Eighty exfoliated primary teeth were collected from children residing around a shipyard area in southern Thailand, known for its lead contamination. The morphology of the enamel was examined by polarized light microscopy (PLM), microradiography (MRG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The specimens derived from two groups of children, one group with high blood levels of lead (57 teeth) and one group having low blood levels of lead (23 teeth). The enamel irrespective of group appeared normal. However, in a majority of the specimens the enamel surface appeared hypomineralized, which was confirmed in SEM. No morphological changes connected to lead in blood could be found. The hypomineralized surface zone could possibly be attributed to an acid oral environment.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nattaporn
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Youravong
authors.forename: Virasakdi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsuvivatwong
authors.forename: Rawee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teanpaisan
authors.forename: Alan F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Geater
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dahlén
authors.forename: Jörgen G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Norén
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008852:Microradiography; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013785:Thailand; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous
chemical_list: D007854:Lead