My husband has received his dental implants for some implant overdentures. Currently, he has temporary acrylic dentures but will be getting porcelain ones soon. The problem is I can smell this awful rubber smell coming from his mouth and I am certain they are his dental implants. I even have to sleep under the blankets with my face to avoid smelling them while we sleep. I would like him to remove them and get some non-metal ones, but his dentist says that the implants are not causing any smell and doesn’t want to remove them. Is there a way to prove it is the implants?
Alison
Dear Alison,
Implant overdentures
I am inclined to agree with your husband’s dentist. The metal used in dental implants is titanium. These are very inert and are unlikely to release any smell. You can even ask the dentist to let you see an implant so you can smell it. You will see it does not give off a smell. Switching out implants is not as simple as just taking some out and putting in some others.
When the implants are removed, they will take bone with them. That bone is necessary in order to retain the new implants. That will mean a second surgery for bone grafting before a third surgery for the new implants. That is a lot to put your husband through unnecessarily.
If there is a smell, the most likely culprit will be food and other bacteria getting caught under his acrylic overdentures. I would try having him use a Waterpik for his flossing. It will help him to get that debris out better and will clear up any smell. Once a week, it wouldn’t hurt to rinse with some peroxide. I wouldn’t do it more than once a week though or it could lead to him getting an oral yeast infection.
This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.