Cast alloy vs. porcelain dental restorations
Over the years scientific research findings have influenced the way we care for our patients. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the materials that we use for dental restorations. Although the standard for today is dental porcelain, everyone knows someone with a gold tooth.
What's in that gold tooth?
However, as we have discovered, sometimes when a dentist prescribes cast alloy dental restorations, they are prescribing much more than just gold. Some dentists import their metal restorations from other countries where manufacturing standards are not as stringent as those in the US. If we use gold in a restoration at our practice, it is ADA approved for high quality.
What the studies show
As metallurgical studies have shown, these imported cast alloy restorations can contain many substances other than gold, some of which may cause allergic or toxic reactions in patients. Our medical colleagues do not use cast alloys for body replacement parts. If a hip replacement were made from cast alloy rather than titanium or zirconium, the body would more reject it.
The benefits of replacement
In the past, few dentists tested for or even asked patients about allergies or adverse reactions to metals. But today we know that there are many porcelain materials and non metal alloys that will not produce a negative reaction in our patients. In fact, in my practice, we have had many patients who determined that their allergies to the metal in their older restorations or fillings were affecting their health. After we remove these and replace them with new non metal materials, these patients report that they enjoy much better health and an improved quality of life. By using our state-of-the-art CEREC AC Bluecam technology we are able to create, craft and place a dental restoration that fits perfectly and matches the color and size of the rest of your teeth - usually in one visit!
