One of the concerns people have about dentures is how their sense of taste may be affected. It’s true that dentures can affect your sense of taste, and some people find that metal in their dentures can lead to problems like metallic taste.
Partial Dentures Can Be the Worst
People are more likely to complain about metallic taste if they have partial dentures/partial-dentures-and-dental-bridge/’}}}}. Partial dentures are often made with a lot of metal to help support them in the high-pressure environment where they have to function alongside natural teeth. Some partial dentures are even made with a mostly metal plate rather than a plastic one, though all partial dentures have some degree of metal clasps and hooks to hold them in place.
This high concentration of metal definitely has a high risk of causing a metallic taste.
Your Fillings Could Be a Factor
It’s not just the amount of metal in your mouth that causes a metallic taste, it’s the diversity of metals. As you add more different metals to your mouth, the likelihood that you’ll create galvanic circuits–two different types of metal that create electricity when together, like a battery–which leads to increased ions in your saliva. Galvanic circuits also corrode one of the metals, and corrosion may increase the metallic taste.
Even if you’ve never had trouble with your metal fillings or crowns before, when they’re joined by your dentures, you might suddenly notice the metallic taste.
Metal Reinforced Implant Dentures
Another common situation where people complain about a metallic taste is when full dentures are reinforced with a metal bar. This might be necessary for fully supported implant dentures, where the typical acrylic base is just not strong enough to stand up to the chewing forces.
These metal bars also have a significant amount of metal and may lead to a metallic taste in the mouth.
Nonmetal Options Are Available
In many situations where a metallic taste results from your dentures, we have nonmetallic options that can work just as well, with no metallic taste. Advanced ceramics like zirconia can stand up to the forces of chewing, and they don’t lead to a metallic taste.
What about Dental Implants?
But what if you have dental implants? Will you experience a metallic taste?
Not likely. First and foremost, dental implants are made of titanium, which is largely inert in the body. It doesn’t rust and give off ions, so it’s unlikely to taste metallic. Plus they’re usually buried completely in the gums, so they’re not mixing with your saliva and impacting your taste.
But if you do think your implants might be causing a metallic taste, we do have nonmetal dental implants that are an option.
If you are unhappy with metallic taste related to your dentures, we can help. Please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment with a Columbia, SC denture dentist at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
