I have a broken back tooth that was previously filled with a black filling. Since then I have a rash and much itching on the outside of my face where the broken tooth is. There is also a round ringlike circle on my face. Should I be worried??? I am having it crowned in another month or so.
- Louise from Wisconsin
Louise,
I don’t think the rash, itching, and circle on your face have anything to do with your filling. While sometimes people are allergic to filling materials and materials used in crowns, the reaction is usually confined to inside the mouth, like the gum tissue that touches the filling.
And when you talk about a black filling, I’m guessing that this is an old, corroded silver filling. They are called silver fillings, but they are actually about half mercury and slightly less than half silver, with some copper, tin, and other possible metals in the mix. Some people worry about the health risks of fillings that contain mercury, but those worries are over suble, long-term effects. I am not aware of any reports associating amalgam fillings with a rash on the face.
If this rash appeared right after your dental appointment, it’s possible that you have an allergy to the latex in the gloves the dentist used.
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