metal-free crowns Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Bleeding Between My Two Front Crowns

Posted on January 7, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had six dental crowns placed. Between my front two teeth I’ve been having some type of reaction. The gums are inflamed and bleeding. I asked my dentist for the alloy certificate, but didn’t see any alloy composition on it. The certificate said something like GC LiSi Press. I have tried researching this but literally cannot find anything on this. Can you tell me anything about what is in this so I can figure out what type of reaction I am having?

Eliza

Dear Eliza,

Yes, It is a GC LiSi Press. The reason you can’t find any alloy on the certificate is because an alloy only is only for metal based crowns. You have a metal-free crown.

I honestly do not think this is an allergic reaction for a couple of reasons. First, I can’t imagine that your other four crowns are made from a different material. If you were allergic to anything in the crowns it would affect all of the gums by your dental crowns, not just two of them. Second, Press is a high-density lithium disilicate. There are no documented cases of any allergies to this type of dental crown. Third, bleeding is not a symptom of an allergy. What it is a symptom of is gum disease.

What this tells me is food and other types of bacteria are getting trapped there. What I’d like you to do is to floss in the area. It could be a matter of not flossing enough. Or, there could be a margin overhang. If there is a ledge under the gum that catches your floss that would indicate a problem that your dentist needs to fix. If that is not the issue than I will suggest something like a WaterPik to make sure you are getting that area thoroughly cleaned out when you brush and floss.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Allergic to Dental Materials

Posted on August 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have type IV metal allergies. Those I know of include allergies to dental cement, formaldehyde, cobalt, chromium, titanium, and many chemicals. Right now I have very bad eczema from all allergies and am in constant pain from work I’ve had done in the past which included materials I now know I’m allergic to. I am willing to travel to get relief. Do you know someone knowledgeable about type IV metal allergies? Could you help me?

Thank you,
Lisa

Dear Lisa,

A woman giving a thumbs up in a dental chair

You can find the right dentist for your needs

There isn’t really any specialty in allergies when it comes to dental work, especially specific types of allergies. What you need, instead, is a creative dentist who is willing to work around your body’s needs and limitations. It doesn’t require any special dentist. However, you may find a holistic dentist more sympathetic and willing to work around your allergies.

This isn’t a specialty either. It is a philosophy of treatment which takes into consideration the whole body and not just the teeth. For instance, a holistic dentist would only place mercury-free white fillings. They also know how to do a sanitary amalgam removal. This will protect you from inhaling any mercury vapors during the removal process.

You didn’t mention what type of dental work needed to be replaced. I wanted you aware of some metal-free dental options available in procedures which previously didn’t have options.

Zirconia is proving useful in plenty of procedures these days. Now we can do metal-free zirconia crowns and even zirconia dental implants. While we have had all-porcelain crowns for a while, they are not strong enough for back teeth which left patients having to use metal-based crowns for molars.

Zirconia, which has been dubbed ceramic steel. It is strong enough to sustain a crown on your back teeth.

Replacing Dental Implants

If you have a dental implant to replace, that is the only one which will be a bit of a pain. It will require a new implant to be placed. Instead of the traditional titanium implant, which is almost positively what you were given before your diagnosis. Fortunately, you can have a zirconia implant.

The problem comes with the need to replace lost bone. When your implant is removed, bone will be removed as well. You’ll have to do some bone grafting done in order for the new implant to be secured. Osseointegration is an important part of dental implant success.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Am I Allergic to My Dental Crowns?

Posted on July 25, 2019 by writeradmin.

I recently had two dental crowns placed. Ever since, I’ve had severe dry mouth and a swollen and itchy cheek. I’m worried I’m allergic to something in the crowns, but my dentist said it’s unlikely because there are no other allergy symptoms. How many do I need for this to be from the crowns? If that’s not it, what could it be?

Penny

Dear Penny,

I’m a little annoyed your dentist hinted it couldn’t be the crowns. You already have some symptoms. You don’t have to have all of them because there are varying levels of sensitivity to materials. My guess is he doesn’t want to have to replace them if you are allergic.

Here’s what I’m going to recommend you do. Ask your dentist for the IdentAlloy certificate. This is provided to your dentist by the laboratory which lists the exact composition of any metallic alloys used in any dental restoration. Three common culprits for sensitivity reactions are nickel, beryllium, and chromium.

If your dentist is uncooperative, you may have to have your medical doctor run some allergy tests to validate the allergy in order to get him to replace them.

The good news is you have options, even if you are allergic to metals.

See a Metal-Free Dentist

Materials have significantly advanced in recent years. It used to be that back teeth had to have a metal-based crown because the all-porcelain crowns are not strong enough to hold up against the chewing forces of back teeth. Now, we have zirconia. This is so strong it has been dubbed ceramic steel.

It’s completely metal-free and strong enough for back teeth. Not every dentist works with the newer materials yet. You may have to do an internet search for a metal-free dentist. They are more willing to work around a patient’s allergies to find creative solutions. They’ll all offer zirconia crowns.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.