Titanium, the metal of choice for dental appliances has recently been in the spotlight mainly due to problems associated with the breaking down of the metal within the human body. More routinely used in the mending of broken bones, the metal has been found to degrade and corrode in time leaving patients with fragments and fine particles in their blood stream.

The dental community has taken the cause and are beginning to ask the same question, are they safe in dental applications. Studies are under way but for the meantime, tests that will detect and show the concentration of titanium metal in the blood is being developed as well. Toxicity is an issue that has to be determined and decided upon, which again gives ground to composites as materials of choice by dentists the world over.

Mainly because the prices of gold have skyrocketed, being one of the most favored tooth filling materials around. Gold is one of the best materials to use for dental fillings due to it’s inert qualities and it is way less toxic than dental amalgam which is loaded with mercury. Composites or materials that are combinations of several non-metallic substances(an example would be the 5-minute epoxy you use in the house) to form a strong material.
Ceramics and porcelains are considered to be the cheapest substitute to the precious metal which may have lost ground but may not totally disappear from the dental restoration scene. Gold has a better appearance(even if it’s merely a thin sliver bonded to a ceramic base) which still makes it the most preferred material. But ceramics are being prescribed more openly because of the price of gold which has increased as much as 105% these past few years.

Dental amalgam, that silver filling they use to fill in teeth using mercury and another compound has always maintained it’s presence in the circles of debate regarding safety issues. Primarily because of mercury, the key ingredient in the tooth filling but some opponents of the use of such materials have gone a step further, the issue of mercury taken out of fillings entering the sewers and eventually into the rivers and streams contaminating food sources and other areas.
Such is the concern of dentists that some groups are making the use of mercury separators for their dental offices to remove the toxic metal from waste water eliminating it from the environment. Mercury has been found to cause not only cancer but neurological issues with fetuses. it has also been found in fish caught in far away seas making their impact widespread.

According to a study on 48,000 males over the age of 22 that was published in the esteemed magazine Lancet Oncology, it was found that there seems to be a correlation between gum disease and an increased likelihood of getting oral cancer.
The obvious blame was first placed on smoking as a major factor for the two diseases but the study also determined that the likelihood of getting cancer because of gum disease was independent of a person’s smoking habit. Even when other factors were looked at, such as, diet and other risk factors, the gum disease factor still appeared as a separate cause for cancer.

Dentures and mouth should be cleaned after every meal which prevents food left on them from also causing decay and sores. Monthly inspections are recommended even by a regular family member or the caregiver so as to detect an early problem which allows treatment as fast and as early as possible. After the patient is determined to be suffering from the disease, it is advised that regular visits to a dentist be carried out with more frequency that with normal patients.
With these tips and suggestions, the quality of life of your elderly loved ones can be assured and would allow them to maintain proper oral care through the rest of their remaining days with a healthy smile on their faces.