What do dentists do if a patient needs a tooth implant and they are allergic to all metals?

Hmm…you might be better off going with a bridge instead. I did that, but only because I’m terrified of the idea of implants. (shudder)

No. I think its titanium alloy or nothing.

A bridge would involve some metal as well.

@Lightlyseared – Not necessarily. I used to have a “flipper” that had metal hooks, but dentistry has changed a lot. My current dentist is doing molds in a couple of weeks for a type of bridge that has no metal – and the plastic is a lot less fragile. I’ll let you know the name of the appliance once I see him again.

I, too, suggest a bridge.

Apparently, in Europe they use a zirconium oxide (aka zirconia) post, a form of ceramic material, because the titanium posts have shown a tendency to promote inflammation. However, as of 2009, these weren’t in use by American dentists. It’s worth asking your own dentist, though, to see if there are any other alternatives that have been developed.

There is a discussion of zirconia implants at http://www.osseonews.com/zirconium-implants/ and there is another one at http://www.osseonews.com/all-zirconium-dental-implants-opinions/.

@caeliste Unless it’s a resin bonded bridge where the gap is filled with a prosthesis glued to the healthy teeth on either side wouldn’t the crown base on the supporting teeth invole a metal alloy.

The advantage of a bridge is that it can be removed if need be relatively easily.

I hear bridges don’t look as real as implants. I also hear implants give off a metallic taste in your mouth. I was assaulted and the girl hit my tooth. I didn’t lose the tooth yet however my dentist said in time it might fall out : ( I can’t have metal in my mouth.

NOTE: In the article it mentions Zirconium as a non-metal. After trying to varify, I learned that Zirconium is actually a transitional metal.

What do they mean by a transitional metal?

@missjena – My father and my physical trainer both have implants. Neither one has a problem with a metallic taste in their mouths.

@ponderinarf – Zirconium is a metal but zirconium oxide, aka zirconia, is not. It is a ceramic.

I’m allergic to metals so your saying I can get ceramic?

carbon

@missjena – Do you live in Europe? If so, yes you can. However, if you live in the US you cannot. It has not been approved and released for dental use yet.

Zirconium is a transitional metal, however, it has metalic forms

@Lightlyseared – what my dentist was talking about was a removable piece…can’t remember the name but he didn’t say “bridge” specifically. He did say there would be no metal.

As far as realism, I’ve had what they call a flipper for years (piece of plastic with the tooth attached) and no one has ever realized it wasn’t real til I told them.

@caeliste Ah OK I see. Usually a dental bridge is a ceramic “tooth” that is permanantly attached to the teeth on either side. In order to attach the fake tooth the real teeth have to be crowned. If those teeth are healthy most dentist wouldn’t want to fix a bridge as it involves would involve destroying a lot perfcectly good tissue. The two crowns would be drilled down and filled with amalgam to form two peg. Then a ceramic crown would be fitted over them to replace the missing teeth.

@ponderinarf – Yes, Zirconium is a metal BUT Zirconium oxide aka Zirconia (as in “cubic zirconia”) is not. From your own sources:

“zirconium forms various inorganic compounds, such as zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). This compound, also referred to as zirconia, has exceptional fracture toughness and chemical resistance, especially in its cubic form.[18] These properties make zirconia useful as a thermal barrier coating,[19] though it is also a common diamond substitute.[18]” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconium

grrrr. All my writing is gone. I wrote carefully and lost it because of my own error.

Darwin, I finally get your discernment of the Zirconium issue. I mis-understood my first source and continued to work off of that understanding. I focused on just three aspects of the original link.
1)Dentist/implant, because it goes with original posted question. 2)metal-free,again, because it goes with original posted question.
3)Zirconium, because the source specifically spelled out “ZIRCONIUM (metal-free)”

My action to varify included going to .edu sites and looking at comments on Zirconium as a metal. I kept finding “transition-metal” attached to the element. I completely overlooked the Zirconia mentioned in my original source.

As for wikipedia, I try not to use wikipedia other than a buffer to other sources. While you make your point with the quote, you fail to involve my own.

In context, the wikipedia quote is this (again, I never used this site for this thread): “As a transition metal, zirconium forms various inorganic compounds, such as zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). This compound, also referred to as zirconia…”

I think we both jumped the gun on this one. By the way Darwin, I found this site, which says things supporting your claims. Maybe it continues to be a subject of debate for the professional scientists. Or maybe, maybe I was just flat out wrong.

Thanks for keeping me in check :)