Dear Cindy,
You might be wondering why a dentist would be writing you about navel piercing.
It turns out that in dentistry, we use a variety of metals--some of which have less than desirable properties.
Anywhere from 15-25% of women are allergic to nickel. Men have a lower incidence--presumably because they wear less jewelry and are therefore exposed less.
Nickel is considered a "base metal" in dental use. It is neither a precious metal like silver or a noble metal like gold or platinum. Nickel is a component of certain surgical stainless steels.
The initial stud and cover is commonly made of surgical stainless steel and unless you know otherwise, it would be safe to assume that it is alloyed with nickel.
My own "policy" at the office to to NEVER use a nickel containing metal for crowns and bridges. Chrome-cobalt steel is used for removable partial dentures. While still considered a base metal, I have only seen one case of allergy with chrom-cobalt steel in 28 years.
Nickel allergy may manifest as a severe gingivitis or redness around the necks of teeth with crowns on them. This can occur in an otherwise clean mouth and no evidence of plaque or other factors that may irritate the gums may be present. The soft tissue often looks like it was burned or is infected with a virus. Pus may be present--making the diagnosis even more difficult. The same type of redness, inflammation and pus can be seen around pierced ears when a nickel containing stud is used.
Before you ask...IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL BY LOOKING IN THE MOUTH IF NICKEL IS PRESENT.
The metal was commonly used by dentists when gold prices exceeded $900/ounce many years ago. The metal is very strong and very hard. It is extremely difficult to cut through when removal is necessary. The metal doesn't cast as well as gold so the finished margins are not as sharp.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts15.html
Another metal I forbid in my office is beryllium. It too has potential allergies and the ground dust is dangerous to inhale. Beryllium may also be toxic and a carcinogen.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts4.html
Beryllium is used as a neurton relector in nuclear weapons. This is just an interesting aside--it has no bearing on its dental uses.
I have more reservations using these metals than I do using mercury. Evidence about mercury is NOT well established and while opinions on each side exist, scientific evidence showing actual dangerous effects is lacking. There is no doubt that mercury allergy can occur but it is extremely rare. Toxicity to elemental mercury does exist and is known--however, once mixed with the dental amalgam, mercury is made unreactive. Anectdotal "evidence" to the contrary, the billions of fillings and years of use seem to bear out its efficacy.
The same cannot be said for nickel. The allergy is well established and exceeds that of mercury. Except as a cost cutting measure (read HMO) its use is questionable except in cases requiring an extrordinarily hard metal. IMHO, beryllium is NEVER indicated due to risk to staff and patient.
Now, getting back to your navel...the navel site is commonly associated with "infections" after piercing. I would contend that what passes as infection, in many cases, is, in fact, skin allergy to the constituent nickel.
Without getting into a debate about piercing, suffice to say that if you are going to do this procedure, you might want to see whether you are nickel sensitive. If you are, this might never heal properly.
I repeat, If you cannot wear steel pierced earing studs, develope rashes on the neck next to faux jewely or know you are allergic to nickel, don't pierce the navel.
BTW did I happen to mention allergy to adhesives used on medical tapes?....How about neoprene...never mind.
Oh, yeah...some people are sensitive to Neosporin and can react to it or have delayed healing.
Be careful out there...you gotta watch out for the Navel Sharks--they are often found in bars and dive boat platforms!
Larry Stein
