Six most commonly used brands of the orthodontic elastics in dentistry in Canada were tested for the presence of volatile N-nitrosamines. All six brands were found to contain three types of volatile N-nitrosamines, namely, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), and N-nitrosopeperidine (NPIP). Migration studies into simulated saliva showed that over 80-100% of the volatile nitrosamines present in the matrix of the orthodontic elastics leached out into the simulated saliva within three weeks of incubation at 37/spl deg/C. It was concluded that more stringent controls at the manufacturing or processing stages, were necessary in order to reduce the levels of the above mentioned carcinogens in the orthodontic rubber bands.
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