Patients who are going to undergo dental crown treatments for international patients in Turkey often hear the rumors about the prosthetic causing cancer and some become concerned regarding the possibility of such a serious threat to their health being caused by a dental treatment they wish to undergo.
In short, dental crowns may increase the risk of oral cancer, namely squamous cell carcinoma, which is believed to happen due to the constant mechanical irritation of oral soft tissues, of which different areas of the tongue are the most prominent.
What should be noted is that a research conducted on the occurrence of SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) among patients with different dental prosthetics found no statistically significant difference between the types of dental prosthetics and the occurrence rate. So if a patient is concerned about the possibility of the development of oral cancer due to dental crowns, they should keep in mind that the possibility of occurrence does transfer to other prosthetics too.
It is believed that such cases have a higher chance of occurrence due to the unsuccessful implementation, misuse or incorrect choice of the prosthetics, as they may have rough or broken edges, or be jagged. Development of cancer due to constant irritation that this shape causes to the tongue works in the same way SCC is seen in people with broken or sharp teeth. One of the advantages of getting your dental crowns in Turkey is the high dental operation quality, which will eliminate such possibilities to a large extent.
There are also a couple of other root causes that cause concern regarding the development of oral cancer for patients who wish to undergo the treatment which should be addressed.
Some patients are concerned that the root canal treatment they will undergo before they get their crowns may cause oral cancer. Unlike the concern about cancer caused by the crowns themselves, this concern is completely baseless. The belief was popularized due to a paper published in the 1920's which erroneously concluded that root canals did contribute to the development of oral cancer, a mistake which was completely due to an error within the author's methodology. If you are concerned that your root canal might cause cancer, you may stop worrying about it and go on with your operation. This is often a concern with the elderly who wish to get root canal before their crown treatments. To learn more, you can read our article: can seniors get dental crowns
Poorly fitted or poorly crafted crowns may cause gum diseases due to different reasons, which in turn may lead to the development of different sorts of oral cancer. This may be considered an extreme case as no dental crown of adequate quality or those implemented by a skilled doctor have the risk of leading to gum diseases in the first place. Just make sure you choose original crown equipment and a good dentist for your operation.
BPA does not exist in any form of dental sealants being actively used, though it can be synthesized by the sealants contact with patients saliva. BPA should still be of no concern to patients, as the BPA found in patients saliva about three hours after the operation can be eliminated by a simple cleaning of the crown after the operation.
BPA is also not a known cause for cancer, though it has been shown to promote developmental deficits when it somehow makes its way into a child's system.
The presence of mercury in dental amalgams has been a point of concern for patients wishing to get dental crowns, as it is known to be toxic and may cause serious health issues for people who have it in their systems. This is not the case for dental amalgams though, as studies conducted on people with multiple dental fittings sealed with sealants containing mercury showed that mercury levels of these people were higher compared to the general population, but were still at healthy levels. This also goes for the release of mercury vapor during the fitting and removal of crowns.
It should be noted that people with known adverse reactions to mercury or pregnant should stay away from sealants containing mercury and should favor mercury free sealants for any possible bodily reactions.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4414943/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5398106/