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Many in vitro studies have confirmed the corrosion of dental alloys. However, in vivo corrosion studies, for example, recording of the release of metal ions into saliva, are scarce, and data on the repeatability of the metal content measurements of saliva are lacking. The present study examined the metal content of saliva of patients with and without metal restorations and assessed the repeatability of these data. The composition of each patient’s oral cast alloys was analyzed using the energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of metal biopsy specimens and was compared to the metals found in saliva. Saliva analysis was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Chemical analysis comprised the metals Ag, Au, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, Ni, Pd, Pt, Sn, and Zn. The metals Ag, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn were found in saliva of patients without metal restorations, but these data showed statistically significant differences in the metal content between consecutively performed samples per patient. The metals Ag, Au, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn were identified in saliva of patients with metal restorations being higher in concentration than in control patients. In 77% of the cases at least one metal of the restoration was found in the patient’s saliva. However, the metal content showed statistically significant differences between replicate samples of the same patient taken at different times. The metal content of saliva is affected among other things by intraoral metal restorations, but present data do not support the idea that it is a reliable indicator for the systemic exposure to metals released from dental alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single case reports indicate that components of dental alloys accumulate in the adjacent soft tissue of the oral cavity. However, data on a wider range of dental alloys and patient groups are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the metal content of oral tissues adjacent to dental alloys showing persisting signs of inflammation or other discoloration (affected sites) and of healthy control sites with no adjacent metal restoration in 28 patients. The composition of the adjacent alloys was analyzed and compared to the alloy components in the affected sites. Tissue analysis was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Alloy analysis was performed with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. In the affected sites, the metals Ag, Au, Cu, and Pd prevailed compared to control sites, reflecting the frequency distribution of single metals in the adjacent alloys. In most cases (84%), at least one of the analyzed metals was a component of the alloy and also detected in the tissue. Metal components from almost all dental cast alloys can be detected in adjacent tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the prevalence of adverse effects from dental cast alloys and on the characteristics of the related patient groups are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate patients in a defined part of Germany attributing oral complaints or symptoms to dental cast alloys. All dentists in the area of Eastern Bavaria (with 1 million inhabitants) were asked to send corresponding patients to our department during a 3-year period. Out of this collection, patients with complaints or symptoms in the oral cavity were recruited and characterized with regard to number, age and sex distribution, type of subjective complaints and objective intraoral symptoms, and allergy status based on an alloy analysis. Patients reporting to our department with suspected local adverse effects from dental cast alloys represented 0.01% of the population. Thirty-four percent of the patients were 50–59 years old, with females prevailing (76%). A great variety of subjective complaints was reported, which mainly resembles those reported by patients with adverse effects attributed to other dental materials like amalgam or denture base materials. The main objective intraoral symptoms were gingivitis, anomalies of the tongue (lingua plicata, lingua geographica), discoloration of the gingiva, redness of the palate or tongue and lichenoid reactions of the oral mucosa. In not more than 10% of the patients, allergy was diagnosed as contributing to the complaints or symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]