Chronic Oral Lesion

Q:  For the past several years I have experienced an open lesion in my mouth opposite my upper front teeth. I have consulted my dentist, who applied bonding to my front teeth 5 or 6 years prior to the open sore. He called the company that manufactures the bonding and they reported no history of allergic reactions to the product. My dentist referred me to a specialized dentist who encouraged me to take a host of dietary supplements which did not help at all. My internist was uncertain as to what this could be and he referred me to an ENT specialist who said it wasn't cancer and referred me back to my dentist. Needless to say, having an open sore in my mouth for so long is a problem. Any suggestions?

A:  Five years is a terribly long time to have a sore in your mouth! Since I love to eat, the first questions that come to mind are how you've been able to eat and whether or not certain foods hurt your mouth. I'm assuming that your internist ruled out Sjogren's syndrome (which involves very dry mouth) or other diseases that might lead to sores. It is possible that the bonding of your teeth and the sore are just coincidence, but just because the company reported no allergic reactions doesn't mean that you can't be the first.

I spoke with my own dentist, Dr. Fred Weber, who is in practice with his son Matt in Brookfield. He also has never seen an allergic reaction to bonding materials, but he says that allergies to silver fillings have been reported. The bonding material is a composite filling made up of a plastic matrix with quartz fillers that is glued to the surface of the teeth, and it's possible that you're allergic to any one of those components, including the glue. Even after five years, he thinks the composite would still be present on the teeth and not have eroded so it would be worth removing it to see if the lesion heals. It could then be replaced with porcelain material.

"Dear Doctor" is a compilation of patient questions answered by doctors from the Medical College of Wisconsin.