Severe Metal Allergies and Dental Work

I have pretty severe dental allergies including copper and tin. Because of that it was hard for me to get dental work done. I’ve have worked hard to take care of my teeth, but cavities happen. Most of the time I had to wait until the decay progressed until there was an infection or the tooth was too decayed to be viable. Then, I would extract the tooth. I understand that things have changed and I’m looking for advice on how to procede. I think there are non-metal fillings now. Are there other ways for me to replace the teeth I have lost as well, knowing I have metal allergies? I know about dental implants, but understand they are metal.

Chris

Dear Chris,

I am concerned that you are not with the best dentist. We have had ways of treating people in your situation for years. Either your dentist does not keep up with his or her field or he or she does not care about saving teeth. I am sorry that you have not been getting the care you need and deserved.

First, lets talk about these cavities. There are composite fillings that are metal free. Even better, these are mercury-free fillings as well. You can get cavities taken care of in a way that will create no problems with your allergies. I would do that as soon as possible because you save so much more tooth structure, not to mention money, when a cavity is small.

There are also metal-free crowns as well for teeth that have more than 30% of the structure decayed. As for the teeth that cannot be saved, dental implants will be a good fit for you. None of the metal allergies you mentioned are in a traditional dental implants, which are made from titanium. This is very biocompatible and has been used for decades in prosthetics throughout the human body. However, if that worries you, there are also metal-free dental implants, made from zirconia.

What you need is a metal-free dentist. They don’t have to be holistic, but most holistic dentists are also metal-free.
I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.

Evaluation of Premium Home Whitening

I have been considering whitening my teeth for some time now. I keep seeing ads for Premium Home Whitening. It is less expensive than what my dentist offers. Do you know anything about this product? Will it work?

Carla

Dear Carla,

I will start with the positive about this option. Their whitening ingredient is 35% carbamide peroxide. This is a legitimate whitening ingredient and will whiten your teeth. That being said, here are my concerns.

First, the blue light. This does nothing to help with the whitening of your teeth. It won’t hurt anything either. What bothers me is that they are advertising it as if it helps with the whitening. I don’t like it when people mislead patients. However, the biggest issue is their whitening trays.

When you get teeth whitening done by a dentist, they custom make trays to fit your bite precisely. This keeps the whitening gel securely on your teeth and only your teeth. With premium whitening, you are not going to get a secure fit. This causes some of the gel to leak out, wasting the whitening gel. It also allows your saliva to mingle with the gel weakening its potency even further. There is an additional consideration of the gel getting on your gums, which will cause irritation.

You would have more effective and safer whitening through your dentist. If price is the only obstacle, you have a couple of options. First, just be honest with your dentist. Tell him that you’ve been wanting to bleach your teeth but are having a hard time meeting his fee. See if he’ll come down on the cost a bit. If not, you can call around to other dental offices and see if their whitening is within your budget. Make sure you do it following a check up and cleaning or the results will not be good. Let them know you have recently had your teeth cleaned and just want the price for whitening only.

This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.