What is buccal galvanism?

What is buccal galvanism?

Galvanism, also known as electrogalvanism, is an electrical effect that is produced by the difference in electrical power between metals. This causes symptoms such as a metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, fainting, headaches, dry mouth and the burning sensation in the tongue, among the most prominent.

What are the causes?

The main cause of this effect is the presence of different metals in the mouth, what they produce are electrical voltages due to the difference in electrical power between them. In addition to the difference between electrical potentials, saliva also helps generate electric currents that can cause great irritation.

Although saliva is a factor in producing these currents, there is also a buccal galvanism inside the tooth. This case occurs when metallic poles are placed that their composition is different to the crowns of the crowns.
Galvanism causes an electrothermal and an electrochemical effect. So the temperature rises around 2 or 3 ° C and an electrolysis effect occurs.

What solutions are there?

To solve this effect, first of all it is recommended that other materials are used that do not generate these power differences between them. The most recommended material in the case of needing metal in the mouth would be to use dental gold since it hardly yields electrons therefore it does not disintegrate or corrode. Another alternative would be titanium because it is also biocombatible and this is the base of the implants so if we put a titanium implant the base of the porcelain crown should be made of titanium so that internal galvanism would not occur. Another alternative that is highly recommended to avoid galvanism and also combat it is the change of amalgams.

At Clínica Blasi we want our patients to be fully aware and know the reasons for our recommendations and therefore we want to give them the best information.