 |
|
 |
Every laboratory will offer different types of testing panels to help the patient choose what to test. Typically, the panels will be based on the types of dental metal fillings in the patient's mouth, such as amalgam, gold or titanium implants.
Ideally, the patients should contact their dentists to find out the exact composition of the fillings, but often the dentist will not know. That why the panels might be useful as they test for metals most often found in certain types of dental fillings and for metals that patients are most likely to react to.
Some patients will not have any metal fillings but will be exposed to metal in other ways. You can take our free pre-test questionnaire which will tell you which metals you are likely to be exposed to.
Sources of metal exposure are, except for dental implants:
- Bodily implants such as hip replacements, screws, nails, clips, usually made from titanium or stainless steel, which contains nickel… etc. Braces and IU devices and breast implants.
- Smoking, both active and passive, contains mercury, nickel, cadmium, manganese
- Vaccines: may contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, and aluminum
- Medication: antacids contain aluminium and pills may have titanium dioxide (E171) or other metal oxides in their coating to enhance their appearance. Antiseptic preparations used to contain mercury and still do in underdeveloped countries. Barium is found in x-ray fluids.
- Food from contaminated areas contain more metals than others, whether its fish, meat, vegetables or fruit.
- Fish can contain high amounts of methyl mercury, which accumulates up in the food chains so that large predatory fish contain more mercury than smaller fish.
- Seafood may contain mercury and arsenic.
- Nickel is found in bananas, cocoa, oatmeal, green vegetables and a variety of other foods.
- Vegetables from polluted areas may contain cadmium, palladium, lead etc.
- Tinned food can contain tin and aluminium.
- Wine can contain molybdenum, nickel and lead.
- Occupational exposure: construction workers, miners, electricians, rubber/wood/paper/textile industry workers, dentists, hairdressers and painters are some occupations that will be more exposed to metals in their work than others.
- Living close to a highway, airport, crematory and factory or in the same house as a dental clinic may lead to increased exposure to metals such as palladium, cadmium, lead and mercury.
|
Printer Friendly Version.
|
 |
