Metal allergies to dental materials can cause the need to change the way different conditions are treated. There are a number of metals used in dentistry: gold, silver, mercury, nickel, titanium, chromium, cobalt.  Any one of these metals can cause an allergic reaction in a susceptible individual. The good news is that true metal allergies, except for nickel, are extremely rare. Gold is used in crowns, silver and mercury are used in fillings, titanium in implants, and chromium/cobalt is used in partial dentures. The main symptom of metal allergy is contact dermatitis marked by a localized redness in the area where the metal contacts the mucosal tissue. The solution to the problem is to change out the dental work to a non-metallic alternative. For crowns, there are all porcelain types that can be made. Amalgam fillings can be replaced with composite (tooth colored) filling material. A chromium/cobalt metal framework of a particular denture can be redone in all acrylic (plastic). Titanium implants can be removed and a partial denture constructed to replace teeth. Even though metal allergies are not common, they can be very aggravating if you are one the affected ones. At least there are viable alternatives for restoring and replacing teeth.