I have serious metal allergies, including dental cement and even titanium which I hear is rare. My dentist said because of that I cannot get dental implants. Instead, he wants me to get a five-unit bridge. I’m really not crazy about this idea. Do I have no other option?
Greg
Dear Greg,
Yes, there are metal-free dental implants. However, you may have to go to a different dentist to get one. Based on your metal allergies, you would likely be better served with a dentist willing to do some research to work around the limitations you have. It doesn’t sound like your current dentist is willing to think outside the box.
These dental implants are made from zirconia. It is quite strong and is nicknamed liquid steel. Some dentists still steer away from them because they haven’t been around as long. There isn’t as much documentation as to how long they last, though I don’t think you’d have anything to worry about.
I wouldn’t recommend a five-unit bridge for three reasons. One, it will put a lot of undue pressure on the anchor teeth, putting them at risk. Two, those teeth will be unnecessarily ground down even though they are likely perfectly healthy. Three, if one part of the bridge is damaged or fails, the entire unit will have to be replaced.
Cosmetic Considerations with Dental Implants
The implant crowns can be made to match any color, so they can blend in naturally with your natural teeth. However, their color will be permanent. If you’ve even considered getting your teeth whitened, it will save you money to do it before your porcelain crowns are made for your implants.
You don’t have too. However, if you decide to have teeth whitening done at a later date, only the natural tooth structure will whiten. That will require you to have the dental crowns re-made to get them to match. This creates an additional cost that would be unnecessary if you whiten first.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
