Titanium has the ability to affect lung function causing lung diseases such as pleural disease, it can cause chest pain with tightness, breathing difficulties, coughing, irritation of the skin or eyes. It is carcinogenic and may also cause cancer.
Multiple investigators have found that titanium implants can induce inflammation in the surrounding tissue over time, leading to the expression of certain mediators known to cause local and systemic health problems. While acute disease is unavoidable, chronic diseases (cancer, autoimmune diseases, etc.)
There have been reports of hypersensitive reactions such as erythema, urticaria, eczema, swelling, pain, necrosis, and bone loss due to titanium dental implants [15, 67, 68]. Despite of the limitation of the case report, these cannot be neglected.
Titanium toxicity can elicit a number of symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, blurring of vision, respiratory inflammation, lymphedema, and hyperpigmentation of the nails and skin [[12], [13], [14]].
Seminal studies cited by the International Journal of Implant Dentistry report that titanium allergy symptoms include: Erythema (skin redness, in this case, in the tissues around the implant) Urticaria (hives that may be seen on the skin or gum surface) Eczema (itchy inflammation of the skin or gum tissue)
Removal of the titanium plates is indicated when there is a fracture of the plates or when they are exposed through the gums due to poor tolerance. Once exposed, the plates are susceptible to infection and must be removed.
Studies showed that titanium particles of this size stimulate the polarization of macrophages from the native M0 to the proinflammatory M1 phenotype [24,27] and therefore cause inflammation, which leads to proliferation of fibroblasts.
TiO2 NPs can translocate from the initial gates of entry and accumulate in the brain. TiO2 NPs accumulation in the brain causes brain damage and neurotoxicity. TiO2 NPs exposure results in microglia activation, ROS production and inflammation. ROS production induced genotoxicity and cell damage.
[2,3,4] Titanium particles can be found in macrophage lysosomes[5,6] and can cause Type IV hypersensitivity reactions. Cases of titanium allergy where the main signs and symptoms are urticaria, edema, eczema, and pruritus which may be localized or generalized[7,8,9] have been reported in the literature.
Titanium reacts with oxygen to form Titanium dioxide which is used as a white pigment. Titanium reacts with chlorine to form Titanium tetrachloride.
Disadvantages of Titanium
The primary disadvantage of Titanium from a manufacturing and engineering perspective is its high reactivity, which means it has to be managed differently during all stages of its production. Impurities introduced during the Kroll process, VAR or machining were once near impossible to remove.
ABSTRACT. In clinical practice, surgeons have stated that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be performed in patients with titanium alloy implants. However, manufacturers and distributors of many implants may not comply with this common practice.
It is not considered a toxic metal but it is a heavy metal and it does have serious negative health effects. Titanium has the ability to affect lung function causing lung diseases such as pleural disease, it can cause chest pain with tightness, breathing difficulties, coughing, irritation of the skin or eyes.
Stainless steel implants have equal or superior biomechanical properties when compared with titanium implants. However, there is clinical evidence that titanium plates have a lower rate of failure and fewer complications than similar stainless steel implants in some situations.
Common symptoms and signs are swelling, pain, tenderness, wound dehiscence, and purulent discharge at the site of internal fixation. Such sign of infection can develop well over a year after plate implantation (Fig.
Titanium Allergy Symptoms
An allergic reaction to titanium or sign that your body is rejecting a dental implant can include the following symptoms: Swelling or bruising in the gums. Pain or discomfort. Difficulty eating.
Complications of titanium hardware include palpability, visibility, infection, exposure, pain, and hardware malfunction, which can necessitate hardware removal.
Background. Titanium is used in metallic prosthetic implants as it is thought to be non – toxic and not rejected by the body, it is thought to be able to stay in place for up to 20 years so is used on younger implant patients so as to reduce the need for further operations.
Titanium tetrachloride is very irritating to the eyes, skin, mucous membranes, and the lungs. Breathing in large amounts can cause serious injury to the lungs. Contact with the liquid can burn the eyes and skin.
There have been reports of hypersensitivity responses to titanium dental implants, including erythema, urticaria, dermatitis, edema, discomfort, necrosis, and bone loss. Moreover, it may result in lung problems such as chest pain, coughing, and trouble breathing. The worst-case scenario a patient may face is cancer.
Titanium's Advantage
This is critical for applications where both strength and weight are factors, such as aerospace, sports equipment, and biomedical implants. Titanium also has good fatigue resistance, meaning it can withstand repeated stress cycles without failure.
Titanium has also been reported as an allergen in a few studies, causing type I or type IV hypersensitivity reactions [3]. Patients can present with atopic dermatitis, pruritus, edema, urticaria, impaired healing fractures, pain, and necrosis of implants [3].
This study demonstrates a significantly low rate of screw strippage, breakage, and cold welding during the removal of titanium plate/screw implants. However, 7.6 % of the surgeries required additional tools other than just a screwdriver, and needed additional operative time.
However, in our cases, it is reasonable to consider that the titanium miniplate fixation caused irritation of the peripheral nerve of the scalp since both of our patients experienced pressure pain immediately above the plate and were relieved of the postcraniotomy headache by plate removal.