If you have experienced an allergic reaction to the metals in your jewelry, you may want to think twice about what your dentist puts in your mouth! Fairly inexpensive materials like nickel and chromium keep the price down on your dental work, but they can cause more pain and discomfort than they're worth.
Up to 16 percent of women and six percent of men are allergic to the metal used in costume jewelry. These same metals could cause allergic reactions in your mouth if they are used in your dental work. Metals used to make crowns, dentures, onlays and veneers can trigger mouth discomfort. |
The most common metal allergy is to nickel, which is used in many dental fixtures. Patients may also experience allergic reactions to gold, chromium and molybdenum.
Before you go to the dentist, be aware of the warning signs of an allergic reaction. Here are a few clues you may have a dental allergy:
Before you go to the dentist, be aware of the warning signs of an allergic reaction. Here are a few clues you may have a dental allergy:
- Swollen and red or purple gums
- Shrinking or recessed gums
- Painful or itchy gums
- Bleeding gums
- Unpleasant smell or taste
If it's not dealt with, over time your gums can get painful and gum tissue can pull away from the crown. If you catch it early enough, the dentist can help solve the problem by replacing the material and then your gum should come back," dentist Joseph Kravitz said. If you check back in to your dentist's office, your dentist will assess whether you have a gum disease or gum allergy. The symptoms for both conditions can be strikingly similar.
If you do have a dental allergy, your dentist may recommend you have your restorations replaced. Ceramic and zirconia are two of the most biologically compatible materials available for dental patients.
"These types of crowns will make your gum tissue healthier. We have new materials the gum tissue just loves," Kravitz said. Patients with dental allergies should notice an almost immediate change when they replace their restorations. According to Kravitz, allergy symptoms can go away in as little as one hour
Original post from our February 2008 newsletter
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