My husband is getting dental implants. He’s already had them placed and has a temporary denture. His permanent dentures are scheduled to be placed fairly soon. Here is my concern. I have a strong sensitivity to chemicals. I’m having a hard time when I am close to him. I can smell these implants. They almost smell like rubber. I think that the metal implants are reacting to something in his body and I think he needs to switch them to the non-metal implants. His dentist thinks I’m an idiot. Is there any literature or something that I can give him that will convince him these implants needs to be changed? Otherwise, we’re going to end up in separate bedrooms.

Patty

Dear Patty,

While I am certain that you are smelling something, I do not think it is the dental implants you are smelling. Titanium implants are first embedded far in the bone. I can’t imagine that it is emitting any smell. In fact, it is odorless. Even exposed to the air there will not be any smell. It’s inert. You can even test this by asking your husband’s dentist to let you smell one that he has in his office.

It is more likely that there is something getting trapped in his denture that is causing the smell. It would be easy for food to get caught there along with other bacteria. That could make for a pretty bad smell. The next thing you need to is get him something like a waterpik which will help him to get that denture truly cleaned out every day.

Why You Don’t Want Him to Replace Your Husband’s Implants

Replacing dental implants is not as simple as taking one set out and then replacing them with another. When the current implants he has are removed, they will take bone with them. In order to replace the dental implants, he will first have to have a bone grafting surgery in order to build up the lost bone. Then, after that is healed, it will be time to place the new dental implants.

If we do the math that is one surgery to remove the implants, one surgery for the bone grafting, then one surgery for the new dental implants. That is three unnecessary surgeries when there is no real reason to replace them. That is putting your husband through a lot.

Start with the waterpik. If that isn’t it, then you might get him checked for strep throat. It can cause a seriously bad smell. In most cases, however that has a massive sore throat and fever, which is why I am suggesting the pik first.

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