Aluminum and

[prisoner6655321]

I’m a bit worried. I recently had some dental work and the dentist put in a temporary crown which I suspected, but didn’t know for sure, was aluminum. I thought it couldn’t be aluminum. Why would they use aluminum? Then as my orthodontist was putting the braces on my teeth, he said that it WAS aluminum! I was so furious sitting in that chair, he had to tell me to sit still. I do everything I can to avoid aluminum, just in case. I use aluminum free deodorant and all. This really worries me because it’s only been about 3 months and the aluminum is already wearing thin. I can see my tooth peaking through ALREADY. It really scares me to think of the amount of aluminum I have already ingested and I shudder to think about the amount that I’ll be ingesting in the two+ years until I get my porcelain crown put in. Do I have anything to worry about?

I know Cecil already posted this:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a971219.html
but that was 5 years ago. Does anyone know about any further research linking (or not, hopefully) aluminum with Alzheimer’s Disease, or any other condition?

[andy_fl]

Are you sure it is Aluminum ? Aluminum is very soft and not that resistant to food acids, alkalis, etc.

Did he has it was Aluminum Oxide ? If its Aluminum Oxide its a totally different material based on the structure of the oxide.

[hobbes730]

At one time it was suspected to be the leading cause of breast cancer. That was about 4 years ago, IIRC… dunno if that’s still the case.

[dtilque]

*Originally posted by andy_fl *
Are you sure it is Aluminum ? Aluminum is very soft and not that resistant to food acids, alkalis, etc.

Did he has it was Aluminum Oxide ? If its Aluminum Oxide its a totally different material based on the structure of the oxide.

Aluminum is so reactive that its surface atoms combine with atmospheric oxygen almost immediately on exposure to air. Unlike many other metal oxides (e.g. rust), alumnium oxide stays on the the aluminum surface. That makes it much harder than pure aluminum. If this didn’t happen, aluminum would not be a useful material.

Despite that, aluminum with its oxide coating will be eaten away by acids (didn’t Cecil have a column about aluminum foil and ketchup?). After all, there’s a good reason why they use gold in dental work and it’s not just to pad your bill.

[Desmostylus]

I think that andy_fl is talking about the ceramic, not the oxide layer on the metal.

Ceramic brackets are made from aluminum oxide or silica. Inherent in silica is its brittle nature and hardness. Hence, there is a higher likelihood of fracture than metal brackets, and when it does, the sharp edges may cut your lip. Furthermore, ceramic is a harder substance than the enamel of natural teeth. If ceramic brackets are placed on the lower front teeth, the upper natural teeth may be worn down due to continual contact with the ceramic brackets. In addition, studies have shown that teeth move slower when ceramic brackets are used due to a higher frictional resistance between the arch wire and the ceramic surface. Apart from the advantage of improved aesthetics, the liability of ceramic brackets outweighs the benefits.

[Una_Persson]

They make the temporary crowns out of aluminum so they can be easily shaped and formed by the dental assistant/dentist in the office. I’ve had several of them over the last three years with all the dental work I’ve had.

But the thing is, they are supposed to be for temporary crowns, the operative word being temporary. I typically only had mine in for 2 weeks, until the permanent one was finished. Most likely, you were not intended to wear the crown for as long as you have.

[herman_and_bill]

Won’t you have a funky sensation in your mouth when the aluminum reacts with your amalgrams?

[Una_Persson]

*Originally posted by herman_and_bill *
**Won’t you have a funky sensation in your mouth when the aluminum reacts with your amalgrams? **

I never did, but almost all of mine are ceramic composite. Some are silver amalgam.

[astro]

Hmm… pretty interesting

Aluminum Shell Crowns - Laboratory Technique

This crap is fascinating!

Aluminum toxicity

Those evil dentists! Poisoning is not a happy “site”.

I became curious about the composition of porcelain crowns and called one of the manufacturers. I was told their porcelain was pure ceramic. Thanks. I called another and asked what their ceramic was made out of. Porcelain I was told. I called another and asked what their porcelain ceramic was made out of. Natural products. Knowing that mercury was “natural” I went to scientists other than manufacturers. Natural porcelain ceramic is made from clay B kaolin specifically B which is 45% aluminum oxide. Oh! So porcelain crowns are really aluminum. The aluminum does come out of the crown and I have personally seen some tragic cases of poisoning from dental porcelain ceramic aluminum crowns. Obviously not everyone has violent reactions, but when they occur, it is not a happy site.

Porcelain is most often fired onto a metal base that fits onto the tooth. Occasionally these are gold bases, but most often it is the strong and cheap substitute, nickel. Check out nickel in these definitions. It is highly carcinogenic, or cancer producing.

[MadScientistMatt]

Natural porcelain ceramic is made from clay B kaolin specifically B which is 45% aluminum oxide. Oh! So porcelain crowns are really aluminum.

Whoever wrote that apparently had a questionable grasp of chemistry. There’s a big difference between aluminum as a metal and aluminum oxide. Metallic aluminum is reactive, and, well, a metal. Aluminum oxide is an inert ceramic, basically the same material as a ruby or saphire but with no color to it. It’s just like the chlorine in sodium chloride is not a toxic gas but a chloride ion, which is a much less dangerous item.