Category Archives: Mercury Free

Will Dental Implants Trigger My Allergies?

Hello there,

I am interested in dental implants to restore my smile. The years have not been easy on my teeth. While a dental implant is a little outside my price range at the moment, I have a more pressing concern. I have a severe allergy to metal. I cannot even wear metallic accessories or fashion items. I know I am allergic to nickel and have sensitivities to others metals commonly used in dentistry.

Is it possible to restore my smile without using metal?

Hotaru, from Austin, TX

 

Hi Hotaru,

Your metal allergies sound serious, however, most dental implants contain titanium. Being allergic to one metal does not mean you will be allergic to all. Titanium is a highly biocompatible metal, but prior to getting any implants, you can opt for an allergy test to put your concerns to rest.

Another option you have is to find a dentist that creates metal-free all-porcelain implants using zirconia or another strong ceramic. It may be difficult to find someone to place an all-porcelain implant, but if a titanium one is out of the question, it can be done.

This blog post is brought to you by Gilbert dentist, Dr. Matthew Roper, of Vista Dorada Dental.

Are mercury free fillings hard to learn?

I want to get a white filling that doesn’t have mercury in them. The problem is my dentist told me he doesn’t know how to do them.  Would it be hard to learn? Could you talk him through it in a blog post?

Samantha – Houston

Samantha,

You are fortunate that you have such an honest dentist.  Some would just try to bluff their way through it, which could be a disaster. When these fillings are improperly placed they can cause problems.

While, they are not difficult to learn, they do require some specialized training.  I don’t think walking him through it on a blog would be a safe thing to do. There are plenty of places where he could learn the techique.  Until then, you’ll need somewhere to get a mercury free filing. I’d ask your dentist to recommend someone local, but make it clear to him that you plan on keeping him as your dentist, so he doesn’t feel threatened.

This will be good for your dentist. I can’t imagine not knowing how to place a composite filling in the 21st century.

This blog is brought to you by Chicago Holistic Dentist Dr. Kasia Lopez.