RESUMO
In this study, 60 human permanent healthy teeth (without filling) were collected postmortem and analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS), hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS), and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) for the determination of Ca, Hg, Se, Cu, and Ag. The concentration of these elements was assessed in carious and noncarious teeth, different tooth groups, with age and with number of amalgam fillings. A negative correlation was found between Ca and the number of amalgam fillings, and significant negative correlations were found between Ca and three other metals (Hg, Ag, and Cu) that indicate the possibility of substitutions of Ca by three other metals. Significant positive correlations were found among the number of amalgam fillings and Hg, Ag, Cu and Se showed metal concentration in permanent healthy teeth were affected by the presence of the number of amalgam filling. In addition, significant positive correlations between Hg and Ag, Hg and Cu, and Ag and Cu proved the suspicion that the Hg content in permanent healthy teeth was mainly found because of the influence of amalgam filling, not from other sources. Moreover, the significant positive correlation between Hg-Se and Ag-Se showed the formation of mercuric selenide and silver selenide complexes as part of a natural mechanism of detoxification. Consequently, the permanent healthy teeth would be considered as a bioindicator for the accumulation of long-term exposure of Hg and Ag.