metal-free dentist Archives - Susan M. Dennis, D.D.S

I had six dental crowns placed on my anterior teeth for a smile makeover. I am having some problems with bleeding between the front two. I am a bit worried I am allergic to them. I asked my dentist for the certification of the alloys so I could figure out what was going on. There wasn’t any information on the alloys used. One thing that did surprise me is that e.max wasn’t listed, but instead it said it was listed as a GC LiSi Impress. I can’t find any information on this so have no idea how to figure out what is causing the problem. Do you know anything about this? My dentist thinks I’m overreacting. I wonder if I wouldn’t have more help from a holistic dentist with this allergy issue.

Hattie

Dear Hattie,

Dental crown being placed on a tooth.

I don’t think what you are dealing with is an allergy, but I do think something is wrong. If it were an allergy, you would be affected by all the dental crowns and not just the two in front. As to the alloy certification, the reason there were none listed is because these crowns are metal-free, so there would be no alloys to list. A holistic dentist would provide the same material.

That being said, the bleeding indicates a problem. If your dentist is unwilling to take that seriously, then I would say he or she is not the best dentist for you. I lean toward there being a problem with the margins of the dental crowns. If there is, then food and other debris will get trapped there and lead to tenderness, bleeding, and even gum disease if left untreated.

You can check for this when you floss. If the floss seems to get trapped there for a moment, then there is an overhand or open margin. If that is the case, your dentist needs to fix this. Either way, you need a dentist willing to get to the bottom of why your gums are bleeding.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dentist.

I had two fillings and one restoration placed in my mouth. This was the first time I’ve had any substantial dental work done. My teeth had always been fine until recently. My husband lost his job and the dental insurance that went with it, so I put off going to the dentist for a couple of years until we were back on our feet. I had no idea how much those cleanings and checkups were helping. Since getting the restorations, I’ve been having sores in my mouth and feeling off-kilter. My dentist didn’t feel it was the dental work, so I finally went to a medical doctor. He sent me for an allergy workup and it turns out I’m allergic to nickel, cobalt, and mercury. I’m sure these things are in my dental work. The fillings are silver, so those may be the big culprit. My dentist assures me he’s never encountered a patient who has had problems from their dental work and still believes it is unrelated. Where do I go from here?

Maya

Dear Maya,

I am constantly flabbergasted with dentists who are in denial about allergies. Your dentist is even ignoring the results of the medical tests you’ve had done. Yes, being exposed to materials you are allergic to can cause you to feel poorly and have reactions such as the sores you are experiencing. That seems like a no-brainer to me. I’m going to be blunt and say this is not the best dentist for you.

In your place, I’d look for a metal-free dentist. They will have the materials on hand you need to get restorations that won’t cause a reaction, such as a zirconia bridge or crown.

Your silver / amalgam fillings are going to be a bigger deal. You need a dentist who knows how to remove the amalgam fillings while minimizing the risk to you for swallowing or inhaling any mercury or mercury vapors. There are special materials which can be used such as a stopper dam, and water to keep the mercury from melting.

My suggestion is to look for a mercury-free dentist or a biological dentist. Most, if not all of them are metal-free. Even if they’re not metal-free, a biological dentist will bend over backward to work within your medical requirements.

This blog is brought to you by Holistic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis of Portage, MI.

Bleeding Between Two Dental Crowns

Allergies to the Metal in Dental Work