When teeth are lost due to decay, infection or injury, the only available options used to be a bridge, denture or leaving it empty. With the advent of dental implants, missing teeth can now be restored with prosthetic implants. Dental implants are the most ideal method of replacing teeth. Implants, made of titanium, are surgically placed into the jaw by an oral surgeon or dentist to replace the missing teeth; but research indicates that patients who may have sensitivity to titanium should be cautious.
Success Rate
According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, dental implants are successful in 95 percent of placements. Of the 5 percent failure rate, some cases fail due to outside factors such as serious gum disease that progressed after the implant was placed, or heavy smokers, for whom implants tend to fail. Patients with bone loss will have to undergo bone grafts in order to build up enough bone to secure a dental implant. If complications arise from the graft, the implant can also fail. A small percentage of these failed cases is thought to be a result of a previously unknown allergy to titanium in a small number of patients.
Prevalence of Titanium Allergy
According to MELISA, a test that measures hypersensitivity to metals, approximately 1 in 30 people are allergic to some degree to metals used in dental filling or implants. Of such metals, titanium, which implants are made from, is considered to be a biocompatible metal, which means that titanium is compatible to coexist with living tissue. However, 4 percent of the patients that have been tested thus far show a positive reaction to being allergic to titanium.
All metals will corrode, releasing ionic particles that bind to proteins in the body. A patient with an allergy to titanium is allergic to these particles. These patients would have an allergic reaction to dental implants, as well as a host of other prosthetics that invariably include titanium. The ADA (American Dental Association) estimates the rates to be as low as 0.6 percent of patients who receive dental implants.
Scientific Study Results
Dr. Kurt Mulle of the Practice for Dermatology and Environmental Medicine in Germany did a case study to investigate the prevalence of allergic reaction to dental implants or prosthetics. The subjects in the study were 56 patients who had serious to severe adverse reactions to titanium-based implants. Fifty-four patients had previously shown no allergic reaction to titanium through patch testing (on the skin). When the MELISA test was administered to these 56 patients, 37.5 percent (21 patients) were positive to having a titanium allergy, with the remainder being ambiguous or negative in reaction to titanium, but having allergies to other metals such as nickel. With the exception of two patients who refused removal of the implants, the remaining 54 showed complete improvement within two to six months of implant removal.
Other Possible Allergies
If titanium allergy is not the cause of the dental implant failure, then another study at University of Cologne's School of Oral and Dental Medicine in Germany discovered that patients can be allergic to titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, nickel or molybdenum. These are all the metals involved in the actual implant itself as well as the drills and tools used in the surgical process of placing the implant. This study showed that EIF (early dental implant failure) could be caused by any of the other metals, with 27 out of 34 patients showing an allergy to one of the metals. However, none of the 34 random EIF patients in this study showed an allergy to titanium.
Titanium Allergy Symptoms
Titanium is used in such a wide variety of items now, due to its biocompatibility, that avoiding it is difficult. Symptoms of allergies to titanium can range from mild to severe. An allergic reaction is basically the body trying to fight particles that it believes should not be there, which in this case, means fighting the presence of titanium. This process can begin a chain reaction of symptoms, some of which include signs of chronic fatigue syndrome, rashes, general pain, dermatitis, swelling, inability to properly heal from wounds and infections.
Products Containing Titanium
Along with most prosthetics and all dental implants, titanium can be found in a myriad of other items. Included on this vast list are sunscreen, cosmetics, toothpaste, paint, vitamins, many jewelry items and even in food. Popular candy such as Skittles and M&Ms uses titanium dioxide in the coating, referred to as E171 on the label.
Precautionary Measures
If you are prone to being allergic to metals, a MELISA test prior to receiving an implant can eliminate any concerns. Research to date does not indicate that an allergic reaction to titanium can be fatal; but getting an easy test administered prior to the use of dental implants can alleviate any concerns you may have.
If you have already received a dental implant and you develop a rash or other serious symptoms over the course of months, including feeling consistently tired regardless of sleep, then a visit to your doctor is warranted.
