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My New Dental Crowns Ruined My Bite and Dried Out My Mouth

My New Dental Crowns Ruined My Bite and Dried Out My Mouth

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My dentist insisted that all my teeth needed to be restored with crowns. I realize that I neglected my oral health for years, but the crowns have ruined my life. My dentist opened my bite too wide. I must consciously close my mouth and breathe through my nose. My dentist has ground on the crowns twice, but I don’t see or feel improvement. I think I know what needs to be done to resolve this, but I’m afraid of the answer and how many months it will take. What do you advise? Thanks. Tyler from Philadelphia

Tyler,

You underwent a full-mouth reconstruction, a significant dental procedure involving crowns on all your teeth. The goal was to enhance your smile by creating a more “open” bite. Unfortunately, this intervention has led to a severe side effect: dry mouth, or xerostomia.

Dry mouth can significantly impact oral health. It can lead to increased tooth decay, gum disease, and difficulty eating and speaking. The cause of your dry mouth appears to be lip incompetence, a condition where your lips cannot close naturally when your mouth is at rest. Lip incompetence is often a result of an improperly adjusted bite.

Your dentist’s decision to open your bite without considering the potential consequences of lip incompetence was a grave error. This procedure requires specialized knowledge and skill, often obtained through advanced training. Perhaps your dentist, attracted by the high fees associated with full-mouth reconstruction, may have overstepped their capabilities.

A full-mouth reconstruction, especially when opening the bite, requires a gradual and careful process. A dentist must use temporary restorations to assess the patient’s comfort and tolerance for the new bite before making permanent changes with the final dental crowns. The dentist should never open the bite beyond the point of lip competence.

Saliva plays a crucial role in protecting teeth from decay. It washes away food particles, neutralizes acids, and contains minerals that help repair tooth enamel. Dry mouth can significantly increase the risk of cavities and gum disease.

We recommend seeking a second opinion. A qualified periodontist or restorative dentist can assess your situation and recommend how to restore your oral health.

A skilled dentist with advanced training can successfully redo your full-mouth reconstruction. The goal should be to create a aesthetically pleasing and functional bite, without causing adverse side effects like dry mouth. A skilled dentist can help you achieve this.

If you believe your dentist’s actions have caused you harm, you may have grounds for a malpractice claim. It’s always best to resolve the issue amicably with your dentist, but legal action may be necessary if that’s not possible.

 

San Antonio dentists Dr. Gilberto Tostado and Dr. Karina Acuña sponsor this post. Read how they strive to provide patients with some of the best dental care in San Antonio.

Why Are My New Crowns Darker Than at First?

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Two weeks ago, my dentist placed ceramic crowns with a porcelain glaze on my upper center front teeth. They perfectly matched my natural front teeth. I approved my dentist to cement them in. After he cemented them, I noticed a gray tent, so I asked my dentist about it. He said he uses transparent cement, so maybe it is the lighting. I have looked at my teeth in sunlight, fluorescent light, and natural light indoors, but I still see the gray tint. I think that my dentist will not acknowledge the mistake because I am scheduled to get two dental implants next week. He probably just wants to keep moving forward with my treatment plan. How do I know if my dentist really used transparent cement? Or did something in the bonding process go wrong? – Thank you. Bethany from Wyoming

Bethany,

We are concerned about whether your dentist let you try in your new crowns before bonding them. However, we will provide some insight on what may have happened.

Why Would Crown Color Look Good Then Look Gray?

If your new crown color initially looks good then looks discolored, the issue could be with the try-in of the lighting.

Dental Crown Color During a Try-in

Did your dentist use a try-in paste between your crown and tooth for you to check the fit and color? The paste could create a perceived color difference from when the crowns were cemented. Tooth color, stain, or a metal post in teeth can cause crowns to have a hint of gray. Some dentists use clear glycerin to try in crowns and mimic transparent cement or bonding.

Color Metamerism in Dental Crowns

Color metamerism is a situation that occurs when a color appears one way in a specific type of light but looks different when the lighting changes. Some porcelains match perfectly under fluorescent light but look different in sunlight or other types of light. But high-quality bonding cement will not change colors, and curing will not cause your crown color to look different from your natural teeth.

If the grayness in your crowns is significant and noticeable, your dentist should agree to correct it at his expense. Pay attention to the type of light that makes your crowns look gray. Schedule an appointment with your dentist and ask him to look at your crowns in different lighting, including the type of light that affects your crown color. Your dentist should be willing to help you achieve the natural results you want.

Best wishes on a quick but thorough resolution so that you can start planning for dental implants.

 

San Antonio dentists Dr. Gilberto Tostado and Dr. Karina Acuña sponsor this post. Read what they do to provide some of the best dental care in San Antonio.

Why Do Same-Day Crowns Make My Mouth Dry?

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I received same-day crowns in June to close a large gap. My dentist placed the crowns on six upper front teeth. Since then, my mouth hasn’t closed well, and the crowns interfere with my speech. I think the tension from it all is causing dry mouth and sore lips. I’m so tense that my jaw and neck hurt, too. I don’t understand why this is happening. I’ve complained to my dentist, but her adjustments haven’t helped. Will removing the crowns resolve it?  – Thanks. Drew from MT

Drew,

It’s good that you’re seeking advice. One of our dentists would need to examine your crowns for a definite diagnosis, but the crowns are likely causing the issues. However, your symptoms could occur with any crowns—not just same-day crowns.

Dental crowns should not cause pain, dry mouth, or issues with your speech. Your descriptions sound like your new crowns opened your bite too much.

Why Might Same-Day Crowns Make Your Mouth Dry?

Diagram of the temporomandibular joint and surrounding structures

A prosthodontist can determine why dental crowns cause dry mouth and TMJ symptoms.

Your crowns may dry your mouth if they are too thick, too long—or both. Your lips should close naturally without effort. When crowns interfere with your mouth and teeth, the problems you’ve described can occur. The consequences are severe enough to affect your oral health and contribute to other issues.

  • Lip incompetence – When your teeth prevent your lips from closing naturally without effort, it results in lip incompetence, including numbness and dry mouth. If your mouth doesn’t close properly, it interrupts saliva flow that contains antibodies that fight tooth decay. A dry mouth interrupts saliva and breeds bacteria that lead to tooth decay.
  • Misaligned bite – When your bite—how your upper and lower teeth fit together—is off, it can cause speech problems and TMJ-related jaw and neck pain.

We recommend visiting a cosmetic dentist for a second opinion. Dentists have difficulty achieving the right fit and bite when multiple crowns are placed on successive teeth. An advanced cosmetic dentist will examine your crowns and let you know your options for correcting crown placement or replacing them altogether.

San Antonio dentists Dr. Gilberto Tostado and Dr. Karina Acuña sponsor this post.

Botched Dental Implant Case

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I spent a small fortune on dental implants and crowns for a full-mouth reconstruction. Things did not go as well as I’d hoped and the crowns started falling out. I kept having trouble getting in touch with them to get this fixed. Now it turns out the business closed and I have no way of reaching them or recouping my money. The dentist has essentially disappeared. What do I do? I can’t even eat at this point. I’m living with mostly stubs in my mouth.

Karyn

Dear Karyn,

An illustration of a dental implant by a natural tooth

 

I am so sorry this happened to you. It is obvious this dentist was both incompetent and a crook. You have been left in an awful situation. Obviously, the only thing you can do is have this repaired by a different dentist. You will want to do some investigating of the dentist first. A full mouth reconstruction is one of the most advanced procedures there are.

You need to look for someone with post-doctoral training in dental implants and preferably even some great training in dental crowns, such as a prosthodontist. It is also helpful to have someone who takes their continuing education seriously. for instance, Dr. Tostado takes over eight times that amount of required hours in his state.

I know you’ve already spent a fortune. Talk to the dentists you investigate and see if any of them (who are actually qualified) will be willing to allow you to pay out your treatment so you can eat again sooner rather than later.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Dentist Dr. Tostado.