How to Tell If a Dental Crown Contains Lead

Lead poisoning has been linked to imported toys from China, and paint that predates the late seventies, but now cases have begun to crop-up from dental crowns. Imported crowns from overseas are made with trace amounts of lead, leading to progressive introduction into your blood stream. American dental labs outsource to dental labs in Asia, according to the "Gainseville Times."

Instructions

• 1

  Ask your dentist if any of the crowns to be inserted into your mouth contain lead. Some states, such as Florida, require dentists to tell patients if any bridges and crowns contain lead or uranium, according to "The Florida Times Union." The information is not always volunteered by dentists, making it your responsibility to ask.

• 2

  Determine where your dental crown was made. Ask your dentist for any papers or information on the dental lab's location. If your crown was made in the U.S., because of the Food and Drug Administration regulations, you have a lead-free crown. If your crown is from another country, be suspicious.

• 3

  Find a local laboratory that offers chemical testing to the public. The only way to be 100 percent sure your crown contains lead, is to have it tested by a professional chemist.

• 4

  Request that your dental work be made in a lab that is proven to use only safe materials. Dentists make the decisions who to buy from, and may actually be more than willing to find a lab that fits your needs, in order to ease your fears.