BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PALLADIUM AND RISK OF USING PALLADIUM IN DENTALCASTING ALLOYS

In dentistry, palladium is a very common component of dental casting a lloys of all types, and its use has increased over the past several de cades in response to the increased cost of gold. However, there have b een recent controversies, particularly in Germany, over possible adver se biological effects of using palladium in dental alloys. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the known biological effects of palladium and the likelihood that these effects can be caused by dent al alloys which contain palladium. In an ionic form and at sufficientl y high concentrations, palladium has toxic and allergic effects on bio logical systems. Palladium allergy almost always occurs in individuals who are sensitive to nickel. The carcinogenic potential of the pallad ium ion is still unclear, although there is some evidence that it is c apable of acting as a mutagen. However, there are no well documented c ases of adverse biological reactions to palladium in the metallic stat e. Furthermore, in spite of the potential adverse biological effects o f palladium ions, the risk of using palladium in dental casting alloys appears to be extremely low because of the low dissolution rate of pa lladium ions from these alloys.