Dental Implants Metal Allergy
When you are looking to replace a missing tooth, the closest thing you can get to a natural tooth is a dental implant. A dental implant not only replaces the visible above the gum tooth but it also replaces the below the gum root like structure. The dental implant is a screw shaped post set into the jaw bone.
The benefits of a dental implant are numerous but if you have a metal allergy, you may think that you are not a good candidate for a dental implant. Before we can answer that question, we need to review your specific metal allergy and metal allergies overall.
When your body experiences an allergy, your body’s immune system is responding to a foreign substance. The response is an overrated that could be a simple rash or a life threatening swollen trachea. Your body can respond with a minor skin reaction to a serious shutdown of entire organ systems to anything. If your allergy is metals, your allergy most often is to a specific kind of metal and the most common metal allergy is nickel. About 17% of women and 3% of men have this allergy and even fewer have allergies to cobalt and chromium.
People are usually exposed to these metals from jewelry, belt buckles, and other similar items. The allergic reactions typically include rashes and other changes to the exposed skin. While these may not seem too dramatic, if these metals are included in a replacement body part, the body could reject the implant.
When it comes to dentistry, metals are commonly used for multiple procedures, including metal amalgams for fillings. Dental amalgams are most commonly combinations of a precious metal with other metals; in these cases, gold or silver are combined with copper, tin, and even mercury. The amalgams used in dentistry have been common for decades and there have been very rare cases of allergic inflammation and rashes.
Titanium is the most common metal used in all surgical implants including dental implants. The body has an ability to fuse with titanium or osseointegrate and it does not corrode when in place in the body. Titanium dental implants are used to fuse the jawbone with the post in order to form an artificial tooth root securing the prosthesis in place.
We already noted how rare metal allergies are and titanium allergies are even rarer; one study found that less than 1% of people with titanium implants had an allergic reaction. It is simple to be tested to see if you have a titanium allergy if you are concerned about a reaction. If you prove to respond to titanium without incident, you are one step closer to counting yourself among the millions of people who already have a dental implant.
How Does a Metal Allergy Affect Dental Implants?
The choice of titanium that is used for dental implants is thoroughly tested and has been in use for decades. The FDA has approved it to be a safe medical grade material to be used in implant surgeries. These implants are used all over the body including in people’s mouths. If you have any concerns about potential allergies, be sure to talk to the dentist before your dental implant procedure.
An Alternative to Traditional Implants: Zirconia
An ideal option to consider instead of titanium is zirconia; it is not metallic and has proven biocompatability like titanium. Some of the reasons people consider zirconia instead of titanium are:
- Its strong
- It does not corrode
- It does not allow plaque to accumulate
- It is considered inert so there is an even lower risk of allergies to the material
- It lends itself to appealing aesthetics due to its white color that is similar to natural teeth
Not all dentists offer zirconia implants and not all locations in your mouth are ideal for zirconia implants. The dentist will be able to suggest the best implant for your needs while considering all the variations available.
If I am allergic to titanium, can I still have a dental implant?
Titanium is a metal that very few people are allergic to; only 0.6% of all people are allergic to titanium. If you know you are one of those rare people or you are worried that you are, there are alternative materials for dental implants that could work for you.
Titanium was one of the first materials that was found to bond with bone tissue in the 1950s. The first titanium dental implant was used in the 1960s. Consequently, it has been studied, reviewed and improved for decades across the world in both dental implants as well as other medical implants. The titanium post will become a part of your body forming a tooth root that will never fail.
If you are looking for signs that you are allergic to titanium, then you should take note of any hives or bumps in your mouth, gum tissue that is dry in patches, inflamed gums near the location of the implant, sores, or any general swelling in your gums, tongue, or the roof of your mouth. Before you have the procedure, the dentist can perform a MELISA test to your white blood cell response when it is exposed to titanium. If the white blood cells have an immune response, then you know that you need to review your alternatives to titanium dental implants. MELISA tests are preferred to skin patch tests because they are more accurate and can measure small responses.
Zirconia Implants Are A Metal-Free Alternative To Titanium Implants
If you know that you have an allergy to titanium, you may have not pursued dental implants in the past as a solution to your missing teeth. With the introduction of zirconia to modern dentistry, you have an option that has been in use since 1987. Zirconia is a nonmetallic ceramic material that is white in color, similar to natural teeth and is very unlikely to elicit an allergic reaction in people with metal allergies. Time to ask the dentist if zirconia implants are right for you.