Did you know that your metal fillings could also be related to some unpleasant symptoms in your mouth? Metal crowns and fillings aren’t the most attractive dental treatments. They can cause cracks in your teeth, tooth sensitivity, and they look unnatural. This has likely caused you to consider replacing your metal fillings and crowns with a more natural-looking solution. When you replace your metal fillings and crowns with a new solution, like white fillings, you will improve your oral health, experience less sensitivity, and improve your appearance.
Learn which symptoms you can improve by replacing your metal fillings and crowns.
Tooth Sensitivity
One of the most common symptoms related to metal amalgam fillings, and even gold fillings, is tooth sensitivity to heat and cold. That’s because the metal is good at conducting heat and cold and sends it deep into the tooth, close to the tooth nerve. The amount of sensitivity depends on the material and the size of the filling.
Gold fillings and crowns are likely to be equally sensitive to different temperature changes. Metal amalgam may be more sensitive to changes in the heat than cold because heat causes the filling to expand, putting pressure on the tooth pulp. This is the same phenomenon that causes percolation.
Ceramic fillings and crowns do not cause tooth sensitivity with temperature or pressure changes.
Metallic Taste in Your Mouth
If you often ask, “why does my mouth taste like metal?” or “why do I have a weird blood taste in my mouth?” it might be from metal fillings or restorations. New fillings may be especially likely to cause a metallic taste as some of the filling material begins to wear down, but even old fillings can cause a metallic taste.
If you have both noble metal and amalgam fillings, you’re more likely to experience a metallic taste all the time. If you have just one type of filling, you may notice the taste more when you put a fork or spoon into your mouth. It may be the utensil you’re tasting, but the reason you’re tasting it is your metal fillings.
These fillings create what is known as a galvanic circuit in your mouth. This is created when two dissimilar metals get connected via a medium like your saliva. This allows the metals to create a basic battery that rusts one of the metals, and in the process, it fills your saliva with metal ions that you taste.
Other common causes of metallic tastes in your mouth include poor oral hygiene, over-the-counter vitamins, prescription drugs, infections, dementia, pregnancy, cancer treatment, or chemical exposures.
If you have silver fillings or crowns, it’s best not to worry. The metallic taste in your mouth is likely just from the fillings. You should only feel some concern if you have a metallic taste in your mouth and fatigue that accompanies it. The fatigue can indicate it’s something more than just metal fillings.
Tingling or Zapping in Your Mouth
Sometimes, the galvanic circuit can be strong enough that you’ll actually feel the electricity. It will feel like putting your tongue on a 9-volt battery, although it’s usually not as strong.
As with the metallic taste, it can occur constantly or just when you put a metal fork or spoon in your mouth.
Mercury Sickness Symptoms
Some people report symptoms beyond the mouth that they attribute to metal amalgam fillings. Mercury sickness is a real sickness, although its connection with metal amalgam fillings is controversial. Sometimes people report symptoms like:
- Chronic allergy symptoms
- Dizziness or ringing in the ears
- Headaches
- Low energy or fatigue
- Mood disorders
- Learning difficulties and motor problems
As we said, the correlation of these symptoms with metal amalgam is controversial, but in some cases, it seems like a real connection.
Health, Beauty, and Harmony
The key point to understand about metal amalgam fillings is that they aren’t just unattractive, they are unhealthy, too. The healthiest fillings are those that are most similar to your natural tooth material, which are also the most attractive. These fit harmoniously in your mouth to promote positive oral health.
Upgrade Your Dental Fillings and Dental Crowns in Hilton Head
You don’t have to live with metal or gold fillings or crowns for the rest of your life. Our dentists in Hilton Head can replace your gold or silver fillings and crowns with beautiful and natural-looking ceramic restorations. After we replace your fillings and crowns, you may notice that your mouth no longer tastes like metal, you no longer experience tooth sensitivity, tingling, or zapping in your mouth, and it will reduce your risk of mercury poisoning.
If you want to learn more about upgrading your fillings, please call (843) 706-2999 today for an appointment with a Hilton Head cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
