Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Steven Wasmer on 27/11/2011 22:01:02
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Steven Wasmer asked the Naked Scientists:
Dear Naked Scientists, Â
Fantastic program! Â
I've been wondering why it is that if a piece of alumium from say, a chocolate wrapper hurts when it comes in contact with a metal tooth filling? I've be listening to your podcast long enough to for a hypothesis.Â
Does it have something to do with an electric current being produced between two different metals in a salt water solution (saliva)? Keep up the fantastic work. Â
Steven  Philadelphia PA
What do you think?
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Does it have something to do with an electric current being produced between two different metals in a salt water solution (saliva)?
I believe you are quite correct. Presumably the current is conducted into the nerve in your tooth by the filling, and OUCH!
In India they put quite a lot of metal in food at weddings, but they don't seem to have the problem because they don't have a lot of fillings (or at least that used to be the case).
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The metal in decorations is often silver and, since that's a large part of what fillings are made from there's less electricity generated.
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My dentist noticed that while scraping a tooth with his metal tool I got zapped with an electrical charge whenever the tool came into contact with the tooth beside it, which happens to be a gold crown.
You can get a dental compatibility test done which shows what dental materials are most compatible with your body. I think it's a good investment because dental work is expensive and sometimes unpleasant, so you want best results. An allergy to dental components can create a medical mystery.
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The metal in decorations is often silver and, since that's a large part of what fillings are made from there's less electricity generated.
I thought silver was a very good conductor of electricity.
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The metal in decorations is often silver and, since that's a large part of what fillings are made from there's less electricity generated.
I thought silver was a very good conductor of electricity.
Silver is a very good conductor. But the electricity is created by a pair of different metals an the silver in fillings isn't different from the silver in the decorations.