Dentures made with scrap steel in China
Newly released evidence has revealed that Chinese denture manufacturers are using scrap steel to make their dentures, emphasising the importance of buying British.
The problem was exposed in an investigative documentary program on China Central TV, which focused on Cidu Zhongcheng Medical Supply Company, as well as other companies such as Beijing Beikou Dental Lab.
“We use scrap steel,” a worker at Cidu Zhongcheng Medical Supply Company, a denture maker in Beijing, told an undercover journalist; another employee at the same company admitted that adding scrap steel reduced the cost of production. Because of this cost-cutting, buying British has become more important than ever in order to ensure your dentures are of a high standard.
The scrap steel was delivered in packages marked “Vera PDS,” but lacked any markings in Chinese. Vera PDS is a high-grade cobalt-chromium alloy that is used to manufacture partial denture frameworks. The metal has a long and excellent track record as a denture material that is strong and corrosion resistant. Scrap steel, on the other hand, has an irregular composition and may have traces of toxic materials, causing it to be a dangerous component for dentures as they are more likely to corrode and leach the metals into the mouth. They may also not be strong enough to make durable clasps, leading to more denture failures.
The dentures company had obtained the scrap steel from a middleman, Mr. Hou. When interviewed by CCTV, Mr. Hou claimed that 90% of his scrap steel supply came from Tianjin, and added that he had never met the boss of the company that he had been working for over the past 7 or 8 years.
In addition to the use of problematic materials, Cidu Zhongcheng appeared to subject its products to a highly questionable disinfection process. “I bring in my own toothbrushes from home, the ones that I no longer use,” said a female worker, who could be seen cleaning the finished dentures with a toothbrush.
This revelation of the materials used in China’s denture industry highlights the important of having regulations across the board to ensure a high standard of denture making. For this reason, it’s important to buy British, as British manufacturers are held to a high standard, and you will not be at risk of low-quality materials being used.
