Asbestos in Dentistry: Exposure Sources, Symptoms, and Your Legal Options

Understanding the Hidden Risk for Dental Professionals

For decades, dentists and dental laboratory technicians unknowingly worked with materials that contained asbestos. Products such as casting ring liners and periodontal dressing powders were widely used in dental labs through the mid-20th century. When these products were handled, heated, or broken apart, asbestos fibers could be released into the air and inhaled.

Today, many retired dentists, dental technicians, and even their family members are learning that these exposures may explain serious illnesses like mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer linked exclusively to asbestos.

How Asbestos Was Used in Dentistry

• Casting ring liners (dental tape): Historically contained chrysotile asbestos; cutting, fitting, burnout, and de-vesting could release fibers  .

• Periodontal dressing powders: Certain brands/formulations contained asbestos; exposure could occur during powder–liquid mixing and chairside manipulation .

• Casting investment powders (sometimes called “casting powders”): Typically made of silica (quartz/cristobalite) plus a binder (gypsum or phosphate). Reviews of dental asbestos exposures do not identify standard investment powders as asbestos-containing; modern systems specify asbestos-free liners   .

Multiple studies and case reports confirm that asbestos-containing liners and periodontal dressings were the relevant exposure pathways—not the investment powder itself .

Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Dental workers may face risks of:

• Mesothelioma (pleural or peritoneal)

• Lung cancer

• Asbestosis (scarring of the lungs)

One of the challenges is latency: these diseases may take 20–50 years to appear after exposure. That means many dental professionals are only now developing symptoms decades after their careers began.

Are Dental Workers Still at Risk Today?

The good news: asbestos is no longer used in modern dental products. In March 2024, the U.S. EPA banned the last remaining uses of chrysotile asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act  .

However, legacy exposure remains a concern:

• Retired or older dental professionals may now face health consequences from past exposure.

• Dental offices located in older buildings could still contain asbestos in insulation, floor tiles, or construction materials.

OSHA’s current asbestos Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) is 0.1 f/cc (8-hour TWA) with a 1.0 f/cc excursion limit (30 minutes) for general industry .

Legal Rights for Dentists and Dental Technicians

If you or a loved one worked in dentistry and developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal options:

• Compensation claims: Against manufacturers of asbestos-containing dental products.

• Workers’ compensation: Depending on state law and employment history.

• VA claims: Veterans who served as dental technicians in the military may qualify for special benefits.

Filing a claim not only provides financial relief for medical care and family support but also holds companies accountable for failing to warn about asbestos hazards.

How Our Firm Can Help

At Cohen, Placitella & Roth, we have decades of experience representing workers and families harmed by asbestos. We understand the unique risks faced by dental professionals, and we combine compassion with proven results to fight for justice.

👉 Free Consultation: If you or a family member was a dentist or dental technician and now faces an asbestos-related illness, contact us today.

Key Takeaways

• Asbestos was used in dental casting ring liners and periodontal dressings until the 1980s.

• Casting investment powders themselves were generally silica-based; the asbestos issue centered on liners and certain dressings.

• Dental technicians and dentists may have unknowingly inhaled asbestos fibers in labs and clinics.

• Mesothelioma and other diseases often appear decades after exposure.

• Legal claims can provide much-needed support for medical bills and family security.