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Archives for October 2019

Am I Allergic to the Metal in this Crown?

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I’ve been having a crown placed over the last 5-6 weeks. Since it’s been placed, I’ve had some problems with what I feel are allergy symptoms including dry mouth, tingling and numbness on the side of my mouth which has the crown, as well as a burning tongue on that same side. I wondered if I was allergic to the metal in the crown but he said, even if I was you can’t place all-porcelain crowns on back teeth. I spoke with my dentist and he said there aren’t enough allergy symptoms to indicate I’m allergic to anything. My next step was to go to my doctor and have blood work done. He doesn’t see anything bacterial or viral which could be the source of my symptoms. I just need some advice. What do I do?

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

3 metal free dental implants

There is a growting availability of metal free dental care.

I’m curious about your dentist’s statement that you haven’t had enough allergy symptoms. Was he waiting for you to go into anaphylactic shock before he took you seriously? There are varying degrees of allergies, just because you don’t have the most severe form doesn’t mean you’re not allergic to something.

You have enough symptoms where it would be worth investigating. If your medical insurance will cover you seeing an allergist, that’s the first thing I’d do. This could help you figure out if it could be a metal allergy or maybe an allergy to the bonding agent, etc.

Metal-Free Dental Care

While your dentist is technically correct that all-porcelain crowns aren’t strong enough to handle the biting forces of your back teeth, there are other metal-free dental materials that are strong enough. Many dentists are now offering metal-free options, using zirconia now. Zirconia is so strong, it is has been dubbed ceramic steel. This is definitely strong enough to be placed on your back teeth.

They also make them in dental implants as well as a dental bridge. If it does turn out you have a metal sensitivity, then you could look for a dentist who already works in these materials. Whatever you do, don’t let your dentist make you feel like you’re being difficult. This is your health you’re talking about.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Can’t Get New Denture to Stay In!

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My dentist did an impression followed by a wax bite and two wax try-ins. I noticed with the second wax try-in that it wasn’t staying in and let my dentist know. He said that was only for the teeth and not to worry about it. When I finally received the new dentures, there was zero suction. When I spoke with my dentist about this hs said I likely needed time for my gums to adjust. I gave that time but nothing improved. Next, he said maybe my bite was off and he had me come in again. This time he ground down on the denture teeth. While they felt great when they stayed in, the hardly ever stayed in. Now he’s talking about doing a reline. I’m not sure if this is any better. Should I give up with this dentist?

Missy

Dear Missy,

a full set of completely removable dentures

If everything seems fine with your dentures except they are not staying in, the fit issue should be repaired with a reline. However, your dentist is guilty of skipping some steps in the process of what you told me. Though, it’s possible you didn’t tell me everything. If he did skip some steps, he’s guilty of succumbing to the pressure of keeping prices down to stay competitive. The best impressions are two-step impressions. Some dentists will even do a three-step impression.

He should take a preliminary impression with alginate. This allows for a preliminary model of the jaw. From that model, a custom tray could be made specific to the patient. Some dentists use a moldable stock tray. For the next phase, a heavier impression material is used for a process called border molding. Suction is accomplished by the border of the upper denture. For it to work, you want the border to press into the tissue a little, hence the reason for the heavy-body impression material. The final step is a wash. This is a light-body material that will fill up the interior of the impression that registers all the tiny details of the soft tissue.

If this is shortened to one step, as it seemed your dentist did, the result can be an adequate denture, but the dentist will save chair time and cost.

Consider Dental Implants

If you are fairly young, you may consider looking into dental implants. When your teeth are removed, your body begins resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This is in an effort to stay as efficient as possible with its resources.

Unfortunately, after about ten or so years, you’ll no longer have enough jawbone left to keep your dentures in place at all. This is known as facial collapse. Having some dental implants placed will not only prevent this, it will also secure your denture and improve your chewing capacity.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington Dentist Dr. John Weaver.