I’ve had some health problems shortly after getting my removable partial denture and a filling. I get sores in my mouth and then was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma. The sores are always by the denture and filling but my dentist absolutely insists it is unrelated. I’ve noticed, however, that I feel slightly better at night when I take them out, but it starts all over again in the morning when I have to put it in for work. Out of desperation, I asked my medical doctor to give me a referral to an allergist, which he did. It turns out I have allergies to several metals. I’ve never really worn jewelry and my wedding ring is made of wood (my husband created it himself) or maybe I’d have figured this out sooner. Is there anything I can do about this? Obviously, I need dental work but don’t know how to get it without putting my health at risk.
Cadence
Dear Cadence,
I hate to say this, but your dentist is clueless. Absolutely clueless. How could he not see the connection? There should be a question on every dental form that asks if a patient has any sensitivities to metal. I’m always amazed at how few dentists actually do this. Yes, the dental work is making you sick. There are ways to give you a removable partial denture that doesn’t contain metal in it. You could also get a metallic one that contains an alloy called Vitallium. This will only have chromium and cobalt in it.
Your filling will be a bit more complicated if it is a silver amalgam filling as I suspect. The high mercury content in these combined with your allergies will mean taking extra precautions when you have it removed and replaced with a metal-free composite filling. There is a procedure known as sanitary amalgam removal. This has specialized equipment that protects you from inhaling or swallowing any mercury or inhaling any mercury vapors. I sincerely doubt your dentist has the equipment or knows the procedure. In your place, I’d look for a mercury-free dentist. They should be able to help you.
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