Press Releases

IADR President’s Symposium: Enamel Defects as Biomarkers for Exposure to Environmental Stressors

Published on: July 21, 2021

Alexandria, Va., USA – IADR President Pamela Den Besten presented and chaired the IADR President’s Symposium “Enamel Defects as Biomarkers for Exposure to Environmental Stressors” at the virtual 99th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), held in conjunction with the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the 45th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR), on July 21-24, 2021.

Enamel pathologies may result from mutations of genes involved in amelogenesis, or from specific environmental conditions, factors and life habits. Over the past century the levels of environmental toxins and chemicals have increased, as have exposure to novel molecules or combination of factors that can affect enamel formation. These environmental effects, which are recorded in the mineralized enamel matrix, may result in changes to the dentition that increase the risk of dental diseases.

This symposium featured an international panel of experts who highlighted the effects of environmental influences on enamel formation, including:

  • The Effects of Early Life Adversity on Tooth Formation by Pamela Den Besten, IADR President, University of California, San Francisco, USA
  • Environmental Toxicants and Enamel Pathologies With a Focus on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals by Sylvie Babajko, Centre de Recherches des Cordeliers Inserm, Paris, France
  • Genetic Susceptibility to Fluorosis: What Do We Know? by Marilia Afonso Rabelo Buzalaf, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • The Effect of Phenols and Phthalates on Prenatal/Perinatal Development, Health, and Tooth Formation by James Winkler, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA

View Enamel Defects as Biomarkers for Exposure to Environmental Stressors in the IADR General Session Virtual Experience Platform.

International Association for Dental Research

The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with over 10,000 individual members worldwide, with a mission to drive dental, oral and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. To learn more, visit www.iadr.org.