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I Can Smell My Husband’s Dental Implants

My husband had a dental implant procedure and has temporary dentures while he waits on the porcelain ones. I can smell a really foul smell in his mouth. I think the metal implants may be reacting in his body. Should he have them replaced with non-metal ones?

Patti

Dear Patti,

The metal used in dental implants is titanium. If you held one and sniffed it, you would find that it doesn’t really have a smell. This is because titanium is inert and very biocompatible. It’s been used for decades in multiple types of prosthetics. Not just teeth, but hips, knees, and many more.

What you are likely smelling is some food or other bacteria that are trapped in his temporary dentures. This will give quite a nasty smell. One way to deal with this is by using something like a waterpik. This will help him get that bacteria out and will eliminate the smell.

Switching out dental implants is not as simple as taking out one set and putting in another. The removal process is an additional surgery. On top of that, it will take bone structure with it. That bone structure is necessary for the implant to be secured. That means he’d need to have another surgery to have bone grafting done. Then, only after those two other surgeries, will he be able to have the new dental implants placed, which is… you guess it. Another surgery.

That is a lot of risk for something that is already working.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Douglas, AZ, Dr. Gilbert Tostado.
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