Heavy metal poisoning results in full mouth reconstruction
When we first met, this patient was in critical dental condition with many failing restorations due to either decay or infected root canals. Her teeth were treated by several different dentists throughout the years, using several different types and shades of porcelain materials. Though she did not prefer it, she accepted the mis-match of her teeth as just a fact of life — her main concern was in saving the teeth she had left, and in her health. She had suffered significant health compromises as a result of being exposed to high levels of Mercury and Cadmium, borne out by toxicology screening from 3 different centers. Along with other extreme-sounding treatments, the patient sacrificed many teeth that had questionable restorations and root canals, in attempt to save her life.
By the time she and I met, she had regained a significant portion of normal functioning in her daily life, and was ready to restore her teeth in a way that did not compromise her health further. Chief among her concerns were avoiding heavy metals (primarily, Mercury), and in removing any teeth still questionable. Some of the teeth could not be saved, and were removed to prevent the infection from spreading. She was given a temporary denture to wear on her bottom back teeth, and ultimately received dental implants in both bottom back corners of her mouth.
Her case involved careful sequencing and coordinated care between the periodontist (for extractions, gum grafting, and implant placement) and us for restorations. Pure Titanium implants were placed in the jaw bone and allowed to integrate prior to restoring them with custom Gold abutments and ceramic implant-crowns. On the remaining natural teeth, all-ceramic crowns and bridges were used to meet her requirement of avoiding heavy metals. The result was a beautiful matched set of crowns, bridges, and implant-crowns. The aesthetics were much enhanced, and the health of her mouth was restored.
For more cases like this, see our FlickR page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/drcaughey/sets/