If you have lots of allergies or suspect an allergy to a certain dental product, you should update your health history before undergoing dental implant surgery. While implant surgeries are generally very successful, certain allergies could affect these success rates. Your dentist can help you work around any allergies you may have to improve your recovery times and decrease any risk of complications. Here are three allergies to be aware of.

An Allergy to the Metal Implant

Many dental implant brands are made from titanium or titanium alloy. Titanium is a great metal because it is very biocompatible, and bone can easily grow around it. Titanium allergies are much less common than metal allergies like nickel, copper, or chromium, but they can occur.

If you suspect a titanium allergy, or already have another kind of metal allergy, you may want to go in for a blood panel called a MELISA test. This test will isolate white blood cells and measure the immune response to titanium. If you do end up having an allergy to titanium, your dentist can opt for a zirconia implant, which is a type of ceramic that is durable and less likely to cause an allergic reaction.  

An Allergy to Penicillin

NYU reported that patients with penicillin allergies were less likely to have successful outcomes with their implants than patients without allergies. The reason for increased failure rates is still unknown, but thankfully, your dentist can opt for alternative antibiotics if you have this allergy. Your dentist will also give you after-care instructions so that you can prevent an infection, and the need for extensive antibiotics, following your surgery.

An Allergy to Dental Adhesive

Allergies to dental adhesives like zinc phosphate and glass ionomer aren't common, but they can occur. If you suspect that you have allergies, you should undergo a skin patch test beforehand. If you are allergic to a dental adhesive your dentist may opt for a screw-retained implant versus a cement-retained implant. With cement-retained implants are like false crowns, the false tooth is cemented to the implant abutment with an adhesive. With screw-retained implants, the implant abutment and the interior of the false tooth will have threads so that the crown can be twisted tightly on with a dental screwdriver. No adhesive is required for the screw-retained implants.

As you can see, even though allergies can affect the outcomes of dental implants, there are alternative solutions to these challenges. Reach out to a dental clinic in your area today for more information.