Kim Loos Dr. Kimberly A. Loos practices general dentistry in San Jose, California. She is also a clinical instructor at University of Pacific School of Dentistry and an editor for Dentistry On-Line. Lead poisoning is a chronic intoxication that is caused when lead is absorbed into the body. Symptoms may include colicky pains, local muscular paralysis, and a dark line along the gums.
Lead poisoning can be a serious health problem.
Baby teeth have been used to estimate exposure to environmental sources of lead and its accumulation in the body for some time. I know of one study that measured the lead content in children's primary teeth. In a 1997 edition of New Scientist magazine, dental researchers from the University of Genada reported that children with 10 or more sites of decay in their mouths also had about triple the amount of lead in their bodies compared to children with no decay. The researchers are not certain why this happens. They think that lead may replace natural protective traces of metals in tooth enamel which then renders teeth more prone to attack by cavity-causing bacteria.