Evaluation of methyl methacrylate monomer cytotoxicity in dental lab technicians using buccal micronucleus cytome assay

Abstract

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, a primary component of dental resins, is known to induce cytotoxicity, dermatitis, and neuropathy. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of micronuclei (MN) in buccal mucosal cells of dental technicians exposed to MMA using Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay. The Risk Group (RG=13) consisted of all the technicians working in the prosthetic production laboratory of KKU-College of Dentistry. The Control Group (CG=14) consisted of healthy students and doctors matching the age of RG subjects. Buccal mucosa scrapes obtained from all the 27 RG and CG subjects were stained with Papanicolaou stain and observed under oil immersion lens (100×) for the presence of MN. There were no signifcant differences in the incidence of MN between RG and CG (p>0.05).