Dental patients urged to ask about foreign lab use

In the wake of a Midwestern woman being sickened by lead-tainted dental work that was outsourced to China, consumers are being asked to inquire about the origins of their crowns, veneers, bridges and dentures.

[LIer]

What is it with these third world countries and lead. Do they have such a abundance of it that they just don't know where to keep it all? Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if we're selling it to them.

[Teddy R]

LIer wrote:

What is it with these third world countries and lead. Do they have such a abundance of it that they just don't know where to keep it all? Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if we're selling it to them.

Exactly. Guess where all the millions of tons of e-waste we generate every year is going? All those old TV sets, cellphones, computers, etc. we throw out.

China.

Then they sell it back to us in the form of toxic toys, cheep jewelry, and, it seems - toxic dental prostheses.

Check it out: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/01/hig...

[Gary Great Neck]

There is no way that the FDA can check the work being done in foreign dental labs. Our legislators are neglegent in allowing this risk to exist. Any dentist that sends work offshore or deals with a dental laboratory that outsources, is putting their patients at risk. Greed and lack of information should not superceed a professional's responsibility for their patient's health and safety.

[Who profits]

And you can bet your dentist Ira Schitzfrumlipz is not passing that saving along to you sucker.

[omegaman]

LIer wrote:

What is it with these third world countries and lead. Do they have such a abundance of it that they just don't know where to keep it all? Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if we're selling it to them.

Bingo, they buy alot of the waste that we generate. For example, They take the old computer boards and add chemicals in them to strip all the heavy metals out of the boards. they take this goo and make into bricks which they sell to companies that use them for raw materials. There is very little regulation over there. The country is big that the national government lets the local factories do business with very little restrictions. Thats why our American companies love to do business there. Why should i pay you $30 an hour when I can get the chinese sweat shop owners to do the work for $3 and hour plus not have to worry about dealing with the costs of polluting the environment.

[RICHIE]

remember this is a communist country

[Bangkok Bill]

Right on America worry about everything.

[Bangkok Bill]

RICHIE wrote:

remember this is a communist country

During the cold war they said Communism is leaning toward capitalism and capitalism is leaning toward communism.How true it is today look at what the Dems are doing.

[Gary Great Neck]

This is not about politics this is about a dangerous health problem that has been caused by the lack of concern by the dental community. NYU dental school sends work to China to save money. They say it is because of a shortage of dental technicians in this country. There are hundreds of technicians out of work and on unemployment insurance. Greed is the prime factor causing this problem.

[katrina]

Bangkok Bill wrote:

<quoted text>During the cold war they said Communism is leaning toward capitalism and capitalism is leaning toward communism.How true it is today look at what the Dems are doing.

McCain would be just a continuance of the Bush garbage and forcing us to have nothing to choose from except junk from China. Imagine another 8 years of all the BS.

[hmmmmmm]

"Their lab, for example, charges dentists $128 for a single crown fused to a metal base, but labs in China do it for $29."

...and I get charged $750+ for that crown!

[Joe Dentist]

China sends us their excess people and cheap made poisonous junk. When are we going to get a government that puts a stop to this! I don't see this on the horizon.

[edd]

The FDA is the drug companies, the drug companies make money by creating illness, it's called the "circle of profit". If you ever think otherwise you are an idiot. Sorry but thats how it is, the sooner people realize this the better we will all be..

Gary Great Neck wrote:

There is no way that the FDA can check the work being done in foreign dental labs. Our legislators are neglegent in allowing this risk to exist. Any dentist that sends work offshore or deals with a dental laboratory that outsources, is putting their patients at risk. Greed and lack of information should not superceed a professional's responsibility for their patient's health and safety.

[Grandpa]

Chinee make denture in ten minute.

[Jan]

It is the government's fault. They allowed corporations to send jobs to other countries and the government cannot oversee but only 1 percent of safety. Then maybe only 1 percent should be allowed in. That goes for beef, toys, tools, vegetables or anything coming in from another country. I would like to see more people sue the government for their lack of responsibility to care for the American people. Oh, that's right the common person (sheeple) who this effects does not have the money or the know how. Only God can help us.

[Get a geiger counter]

Research shows that some of the porcelain used in the crowns have high levels of uranium.

Don't want radioactive materials in your mouth now do you?

China is just a convenient scape goat for the greedy people who want to avoid government oversight.

[edd]

What we need is less GOVERNMENT and more free market and these problems would correct themselves. Government is the problem and as long as people look to government as there savior we will never rid ourselves. Wake up people.

[Trebor Chram]

Having been in the dental laboratory business, the real reason for this problem is the GREED of the dentists. Like the example above, a US lab charges $129 for the work and the dentist charges the patient $700 to $1,000 or more. When the dentist sends it out to China, and gets it done for $29, he makes an extra $100. Meanwhile American dental lab technicians are out of work. By the way, most US dental lab technicians get slightly more than minimum wage for their technical ability.

The bottom line is plain greed by dentists that will cause the illness and death of many patients.

The FDA works for the pharmaceutical and big business and not for the American public. It's a political-corporate government agency like most US government agencies.

[kevin]

The problem is, even if you ask, will you get an honest answer? I once had a valet park my car, I asked where they parked it, they told me they had a secure lot. After leaving the restraunt, I found my car parked at the curb. Would a dentist be expected to be more honest if he was pocketing more cash by inserting dental hardware made in China, or Korea, or in the alley behind his office?

[Non-greedy dentist]

I'm a dentist who uses only American labs and prefers to use high quality solo labs. My friend's wife is a hygienist for another dentist, so he got a crown for just the lab fee. When he told me what he paid for it I was floored. If a dentist used to pay $200 for the lab fee and now they pay $30 for Chinese lab fees, they should lower their fees accordingly. Unfortunately this is probably not going to happen.