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Allergic to Titanium: What are My Options for Implants?

posted in Patient Questions on Dental Implants, en

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Sarah, a potential dental implant patient, asks:
I am allergic to titanium. This has been confirmed by my health care giver. However, I want to get dental implants. Is there any other material used as an alternate to titanium in the implant fixtures? I have heard carbon and porcelain are alternative materials. Please let me know what my possibilities are. Thanks.

12 Responses to “ Allergic to Titanium: What are My Options for Implants? ”

• Dr.Serge March 30th, 2009

  
  

  Zirconium implant is relatively a new option for you…

• doctorberg March 31st, 2009

  
  

  There are zyrconia implants like White Sky, that are monoblock type implants, and that are a real option for you.Also Rocksolid from straumann is a combination that may also help you
  best of luck

• Kari March 31st, 2009

  
  

  There are two that I know of….Ziterion (made of bioceramic material) and TBR (zirconia material) You will need to find a prominent surgeon that will be willing to buy all the specialty tools to be able to place the implant. You may be able to find those specific surgeons by contacting the manufacturer…BioDent(ziterion) is in UK….Biodent Systems Biodent Systems, Suite 210, Coborn House, 3 Coborn Road, Docklands, London E3 2DA
  Tel: 0844 335 1070 E-mail: sales@biodent-systems.com and TBR is in France. Good Luck!

• PL March 31st, 2009

  
  

  Dear Sarah,
  I strongly recommend zircon implants. The bio compatibility of this implant is really impressive. We’ve been working on metal free implants in my clinic since 2005, so we have mid term results showing the amazing results on our patients. The one we elected is from a German/Swiss based company called Z-Systems. This is not only a simple and effective system, but also a very convenient one piece component that avoid all the abutments from regular titanium systems. The behavior of Zircon facing soft tissue and bone really works, showing perfect osseointegration and unbelievable aesthetics due to white colored high tech ceramics. Besides, it has all CE certifications, FDA approval and Anvisa approval too. I would recommend though that you take a clifford test first on Zircon Oxide due to your allergic component. Good Luck!

• aaron March 31st, 2009

  
  

  I have only ever heard of one truly documented case of titanium allergy. Have you seen an allergist to confirm you are allergic? How did you come to get tested for a titanium allergy (did you have previous joint surgery?) as this seems like a weird allergy to be tested for. Just wondering.

• Jim Crummett March 31st, 2009

  
  

  I’m with Aaron. See an allergist (MD who specializes and has residency training in this discipline) and let them test you, probably with a skin patch or some variant. It’s simple, cheap, and reliable. Titanium is highly biocompatible. Our profession has 0ver 30 years experience with titanium. Other materials are recent or less proven. Just some thoughts….

• Dr. K March 31st, 2009

  
  

  You should get titanium implants bc you probably don’t have an allergy to it… or you can just get a zirconia based implant and have it fracture shortly after due to a reaction with fluids/water, then have someone remove it, place another, then removed, place another, etc….

• Dr. Azari April 1st, 2009

  
  

  please note that there are many brands of implants which are used to titanium alloys in making implants so i agree with whose are believe in allergist consultation. since the true allergic reaction to titanium are very rare and these are different in alloys in comparison to CP titanium i strongly recommend to consult with allergist for best evaluation of patient. zirconia has never osseointegrated to bone as titanium or titanium alloys can do.

• Concerned patient August 11th, 2009

  
  

  There are ‘allergies’ that one can have to certain substances that don’t cause you to break out in hives or go into anaphylactic shock. They are real and they manifest themselves over time. This is why we are seeing long term immune assaults on people with titanium implants and/or replacement surgeries. It is a very real reaction that needs to be dealt with. What good is using titanium (that will last forever) if it is wreaking havoc with one’s immune system, and instead of just having an infected/rotten tooth, now they have rheumatoid arthritis?
  This is real. I hope Sarah was able to discern what she needs to do for her particular situation. Please write and tell us your outcome. All the best!

• Terry September 6th, 2009

  
  

  Trouble is in the United States there are NO approved dental materials (metals and other) patch tests and most allergists will not help you w/o that.

  Also, each product contains different ingredients and alloyes almost always contain some nickel or other allergent. I am severely allergic to many metals..confirmed nickel was “off the charts”..worst case they’d ever seen which I’d know obviously for my entire life.

  The blood test does not do well as it’s “pure” they test for and it only reacts when the item in question IS already in you.

  STUPID is that there is no sure fire way to know AHEAD of time if you will have a reaction..to me this is unacceptable..especially considering costs. I also think this form of dentistry s/b considered and covered as MEDICAL.

• Warren September 15th, 2009

  
  

  I’ve had 2 titanium implant procedures with 2 diffenrent surgeons and both implants didn’t take which caused me tremendous pain. I also had titanium screws inserted into my mouth giving me alot of pain. Upon removal the pain disappeared. I’ve asked a few dentist about this problem, with the majority saying that there is no such allegic reaction to titanium. Why don’t I believe them ???

• Roland Balan November 18th, 2009

  
  

  Zimmer dental, former Sulzer-Calcitek, stil have HA-(hydroxylapatit) coated implants. By using casted abutments the problem might can be evitated. The suprastucture should overcome any metal of the abutments- eg. Zirkonia crowns or bridge, and be cemented.
  These HA-implants heel quite well and also fast.
  Faster and more secure then Zirkonia implants. They work even in a periodontic compromised oral situations.
  Their disadvantage is that in some individuals the HA
  coating disolves over the years. Then the titanium-alluminium-vanadium alloy gets exposed. The better the coating (cristaliniy degree) the later this happens. They can work from 8years to 15,inimum. Exposition doesn`t come over night- but gradualy. Therfore a immediate or a delayed immediate response can be excluded. This might be therefore be a solution for about 10 years oral function.

  Although extremly rare, allergic reaction is far more often seen in pure titanium implants then in titanium alloys of TiAlVa or Ti/Al/Niob or Molybden.
  Pure Titanium is very reactive and might get binded to organic substrate which then promotes the allergic answer. Therefore a more inert Ti-alloy might be even more secure, as it interacts not that fast with the tissue. This can be seen on the fact that bone attachment is usualy tighter and faster with pure ti-implants then in Ti-alloy-implants.

  Beware the cosmetics and sun blocker you use !!!!! Especially those based on called “nano”-Ti-particles…
  Transpiration sweat is very aggressive and can induce allergic response to materials we never had problem with. Oral saliva usualy “buffers” reaction.
  Did you have any skin reaction on one of those products containig Titaniumoxides ? If not, the statement “allergic to tianium” might be false ?!

  If metal allergy is consistent- (beware false positive results) remove all metall in mouth. Usualy allergic response is seen on epidermis. Very rare in mouth altough number of reported cases seems to grow.
  But autoimmunedeficiency raised as well as the number of prothetic treatments and envireonmental influence and stress.

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