Hi All,

I don't know if anyone can advise? Tests on my crown show that it is almost entirely silver and Palladium (roughly 50% of each). Is it safe to use DMSA and ALA with these metals in my mouth?

Should I have it replaced with a Cerec replacement or does that present it's own problems. Is the only way to be confident to do a Melisa test?

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks,
StillHopeful

Hi stillhopefull,

Do you know if there is any amalgam under your crown? Though these chelators maybe ok to use with the metals you mentioned, I'd still be careful at this stage in case there is anything at all under that crown. Chelators do show up in the saliva and can encourage further uptake of the metal toxins they chelate. I assume you are getting this done by a biologic dentist?

Cerec is a popular dental material because of it's physical properties and apparent biocompatibility. I have cerec. I don't know if I could recommend it 100%. It seems "ok", but I do have some issues that I'm not sure whether to attribute to the cerec or something else..... I would have the Melisa test done yes. Any testing you can bring onboard is an extra advantage and narrows things down further.

It seems there are those that believe composites are a better choice and those that believe ceramic is. They have their own reasons for recommending one above the other. So you will likely find contradictions wherever you go which is extremely frustrating! But ceramic porcelain will last. Cerec does seem to be a good one, but requires an experienced dentist to place it.

Sorry I can't be more absolute in my response. I tend to err now on the side of caution as much as possible. Here is a link you might find helpful in choosing a material if you are at a loss. This dentist has narrowed it down to a list of materials he personally believes are the safest (so far). Cerec is actually one of them, but it's not under the name "cerec". It's called by the type of porcelain it is I think.

http://naturaldentistry.us/holistic-dentistry/safe-dental-materials-list/

To scroll to the next page of this slideshow, you'll see a righthand arrow beneath it, just click on that when you're ready to see more. This dentist will list the safe materials and also specify which to stay away from. I hope this helps.

Hi Bex,

Thanks for the reply, very helpful as usual.

I agree that any additional testing is good, I'm just struggling to find out where in the UK I can get the blood drawn correctly for the test.

I am using a biological dentist and I've have been impressed so far (I have had 16 amalgams replaced).

I'm not sure if there is amalgam under the crown, I seem to remember that the tooth underneath broke away due to a combination of decay and amalgam filling.

If I continue to have difficulty finding a blood drawing clinic relatively close to home, I am tempted to have the new Cerec installed. This way I get rid of the Palladium and can have any amalgam cleared out at the same time.

Thanks again Bex,
StillHopeFull

Hi there,

You're welcome

Any blood testing lab should be able to follow the instructions on the blood serum test. I had it done in nz. They just had to figure out how to go about it and what time I should go in and collect it etc.

Cerec is a pretty general biocompatible material. It is a good quality material good for large cavities etc. It also expands and contracts in heat/cold. So you would not likely require a test for cerec as I hear it's pretty much non allergic.

However, all dental materials contain toxins/chemicals/metals of some kind or another. Being a ceramic/porcelain, Cerec would contain aluminium oxide. Though it's a non metal form of aluminium. Here is a link about aluminim oxide in dental materials:

http://vident.com/support/faqs/biocompatibility-of-aluminum-oxide/

Some people just have cerec in the large cavities and use a biocompatible composite in the smaller ones. Depends also upon finance. Cerec is highly expensive, though you do get what you pay for. It'll likely last up to 20 years or so if it's placed right by an experienced dentist.

I'd personally opt for cerec for this particular job, because yes, it would enable you to get rid of the palladium and any possible leftover amalgam underneath at the sametime. Not a bad idea! Read up more about cerec and it's biocompatibility if you're not sure. But yes, it is a non metal restoration. So that in itself makes it a better option than a metal based crown. It is solid ceramic. I don't know if I'd get every tooth done in cerec however. They all have their own effects on our bodies/systems to some degree, so perhaps too much of one main material is not always a good thing? Just a thought.