Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

March 28-April 3, 201120 Feature United Kingdom Edition an intolerance to gold; so as a general rule of thumb, if a pa- tient has a known history of a nickel or gold allergy or intoler- ance, metal restorations should be avoided altogether. Dentists should also be aware of the symptoms of an intra-oral metal allergy, which usually include local irritations and inflamma- tion of the mucous tissue of the mouth, predominantly in the form of gingivitis and stomatitis. In extreme cases patients can present with discolouration of the gums and some deteriora- tion of the gingiva. Other metals Along with iridium, palladium can also cause sensitivity in patients with nickel allergies. It is estimated that between 34 and 65.5 per cent of patients with nickel allergies also suf- fer reactions to palladium, and bonding alloys containing this should also be avoided if a history of nickel allergies is known. Thankfully, with many all- ceramic restorations available both privately and on the NHS, patients at risk of an allergic re- action now have a range of safe solutions from which to choose. Composite inlays are a particu- larly affordable option and also boast superior aesthetic benefits to their metal counterparts. If all ceramic restorations on poste- rior teeth are not viable due to their strength, biocompatible al- loys such as cobalt-chrome are also a safe option. Err on the side of caution When it comes to the health of patients, it is always best to err on the side of caution and so, if any intolerance to alloys is suspected, the best option is to choose all-ceramic materials. Many patients will be pleased to be offered the more aestheti- cally pleasing option, and few will disagree that it is better to be safe than sorry. For more information on how CosTech Elite® can help you, call 01474 320 076 or email: info@costech.co.uk DT page 19DTß About the author Neil Photay BSC (Hons) GDC Reg. Technician Neil proudly carries his family tradition of working in the dental industry and creating and manu- facturing dental in- novations and tech- nologies. Working at both the CosTech Laboratory and family dental surger- ies from the age of 16, Neil completed a BSc(hons) in Computer Science, specialising in project and team man- agement at Brunel University before returning to the Costech Elite labora- tory in 2003. David Hands MDT GDC Reg. Techni- cian David studied Dental Technology at Lambeth college in 1999 achieving BTech national diploma in science and dental technology, and advance HNC/ HND in dental technology. He fur- ther trained with Master Technicians in the USA in ‘Advanced Aesthetics’ and ‘Smile Design’, gaining the Mas- ter Technician status. David joined CosTech in 2004 and quickly became head ceramist. Neil and David began joint manage- ment on CosTech Elite in 2006, devel- oping the advanced team structure and skills and forging strong relationships with all the CosTech customers. ‘A solid understanding of allergies will al- low the dentist to treat patients suffering from metal allergies and to select appropri- ate restorative materials for them’ ESTETICA E80 Rise above the rest with KaVo. • Outstanding ergonomics and attractive, highly functional designs. • Innovation at its best. • State of the art technology reliability and functionality at amazingly low prices. From as little as £286* per month excl VAT KaVo Dental Limited · Raans Road, Amersham, Bucks HP6 6JL Tel. 01494 733000 · Fax 01494 431168 · mail: sales@kavo.com · www.kavo.com Contact your local KaVo or Gendex supplier for more details! *Finance is subject to status and for business purposes only. KaVo – Dental Excellence Estetica A4 SELECTED:Layout 1 25/2/09 13:42 Page 1