There are a number of reasons why you may need to replace one or two of your teeth or even all of your teeth. Whether you have had teeth loosening, periodontics, cavities, or other tooth or gum disease, your dental surgeon is able to offer you suitable and lasting solutions.
If you have one or two teeth to replace, your dentist might recommend implants, which are artificial metal tooth roots that will be implanted into your jawbone, grow into the bone, and become part of your body. Once these are implanted and healed, a prosthesis tooth is placed on the implant, giving the function and look of a natural tooth.
If you are missing all or most of your teeth, one of the most advanced and reliable techniques when it comes to replacing all the teeth in a jawbone is to permanently attach dentures to multiple dental implants. These new teeth, supported by titanium implants, have the appearance of real teeth and allow you to regain the feeling of chewing, but also of course that of smiling with all your teeth.
The advantage of tooth implantation, along with replacement of damaged gum tissue if necessary, is that it also benefits the appearance of your face as well as the nerves, muscles and joints of the jaw. Your jawbones are under less pressure than before implantation, and the support of your facial structures (cheeks and lips) is favored. For the intervention of your dentist to be sustainable, these new teeth will also then require the same care from you: toothbrush and dental floss.
Many patients express concern over metal allergies when presented with implants as a solution to missing teeth. It is important to discuss any concerns you have with your dentist prior to any implant surgery.
Do not fear an allergy to implants
The metals used in implantation are typically tolerated very well in most patients. So much so that we use the term “biocompatible” to describe these metals, which includes titanium. If you have a bad reaction to dental metal, it is firstly important to make sure there are no other causes to your symptoms. Your dentist can examine you to discover if it is indeed the metal in your implant that is causing your troubles.
Many people have a positive reaction to metals in blood tests, which means they are sensitized, but these people rarely have issues with dental implants. Even if you have sensitivity to one type of metal, there are many types that can be used in implants. Be sure to talk to your dentist about this.
While contact allergies, including allergy to the metal in implants are rare, it is important to understand the symptoms of this allergy. While scientists until recently considered this metal to be inert in the human body, it is now increasingly apparent that titanium can cause immediate or delayed allergic reactions, so it is important to discuss any concerns you have with your dentist immediately.
Titanium is present and widely used in many different categories of medical devices:
* dental implants
* orthodontic equipment (removable or fixed dental appliances)
* orthopedic prostheses
* osteosynthesis material (plates, screws, pins)
* implanted devices such as pacemakers
In these implantable devices, titanium is present in various forms in the pure state or in the form of alloys:
* titanium-aluminum alloy
* titanium-vanadium alloy
* titanium-aluminum-niobium alloy
* titanium-molybdenum alloy
* shape memory alloys (titanium-nickel)
If I indeed have a metal allergy to my implant, what does it look like?
Titanium is a metal more and more used in medicine and dentistry, because of its interesting properties:
* excellent biocompatibility (compatibility with organs and tissues)
* very good solidity
* great lightness
* high resistance to corrosion
* an absence of disturbances in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) imaging techniques
Depending on the person and the nature of the allergic reaction, allergic symptoms appear either immediately or several days after implantation of the medical device. Allergy can occur during the first contact with titanium or following repeated or continuous contact with titanium. Titanium allergy manifests itself in different symptoms depending on the medical device containing the titanium. Allergies of the oral cavity currently remain a little-known problem and therefore little-diagnosed by health professionals. The complaints of patients with an oral allergy are varied and include, for example:
* burning and tingling sensations
* headache, fatigue, joint and muscle pain
* eczema
* hives
* edema
* in the case of dental implants: dryness of the mouth, a sensation of metallic taste, an alteration of the taste, gingivitis, pearl cheek
* an inflammatory reaction (redness, heat, swelling, possibly with fever)
* failure of the implantation of the medical device: rejection of a dental implant, failure of a fracture to heal
* in the most severe cases, anaphylactic shock
Diagnosis and treatment of titanium allergy
The diagnosis of titanium allergy is suggested when allergic symptoms occur after fitting a medical device containing titanium. To confirm the diagnosis, skin (titanium oxide patch test) and / or blood tests may be prescribed by the allergist.
Several risk factors are identified as favoring the occurrence of a titanium allergy:
* are allergic to other metals (nickel, chromium, cobalt, gold or mercury)
* the existence of an atopic ground (predisposition to allergies)
* allergic asthma
The existence of these risk factors should lead to close monitoring of patients following implantation of the medical device containing titanium.
No specific test is usually prescribed before placing an implant or prosthesis, as these tests are not always reliable and may themselves induce sensitization to the metal. Allergies to titanium are therefore difficult to predict, so if you have any concerns prior to getting an implant, please speak with your dentist.
The treatment of titanium allergy is based on two main aspects:
* immediate management of allergic symptoms (oral antihistamines, oral or injected corticosteroids, local treatment of lesions)
* the withdrawal of medical equipment containing titanium and, if necessary, its replacement by medical equipment without titanium.
When a titanium allergy is known, precautions are necessary before any implantation of medical equipment. Devices containing titanium are prohibited and devices containing other metals must be used with caution.