crown is making saliva thick and dried. Feels like peeling.

@lucybunyard
When you say you feel the crown, does it feel too big, or painful? If it doesn't fit correctly with your bite, it may start moving teeth from extra pressure, and that does hurt. Did you ever have orthodontics to straighten your teeth? I remember that pain every time they adjusted the pressure. A tall crown can send pain into your jaw and uneven pressure on the joints of the jaw with the skull where there is a disc in the joint. Uneven pressure can throw the jaw out of alignment which causes pain. I get that occasionally because of an issue with my neck.

From your last post, it sounds like the crown is too tall and is putting pressure on the opposing teeth, and the dentist ground the biting surface to make it smaller? That sounds questionable to me, but I'm not a dental expert. Every time I got a crown, it fit and there was no adjusting with grinding it. You could ask to go to the lab and let them see how it fits. They should be able to judge this. That being said, I don't know how good the lab is. My first set of crowns didn't fit at the margin (next to the gums). They had a edge I could feel there and a "shelf" that trapped food particles and it caused it to decay under the crowns. The margins need to fit like a natural tooth.

If this problem is more than pain from a badly fitting crown, and perhaps caused by immune responses to metals, You could replace the crown with a non metal Zirconia crown if the tooth is sound. You may not be able to determine if the metals are the cause. In my case, I couldn't connect it, but when metals were removed completely from my body, my asthma and breathing improved a lot, in addition to the thyroid condition, and when metals were put back in when I broke my ankle, it made the asthma worse, so that seems conclusive. Replacing a crown is an expensive choice. Removing a tooth and going through months of healing and getting implants and a new crown is also very expensive. The Dallas practice does testing, and may render an opinion if there is an immune reaction to metals. There are a lot of bad dentists. I have had my share of them, and also some excellent dentists, so I know the difference, and working at a good dental lab taught me a lot.

I don't know what the dental lab offers. Dentists tend to work with the same labs as regular customers. It is possible that the lab can make a new crown without metals in it. The lab that my dentist uses carves crowns out of a block of Zryconia. It is computer controlled. Then it is glazed with porcelain and fired. There are no metals in it. My dentist is a biological dentist. That may be the key to getting crowns without metals.

I used to work in a dental lab, and the old way crowns were made is to make a metal coping, then paint it with a tooth color. It gets fired, and then porcelain is built on that by hand, fired, then ground to have correct shapes and fit with the bite on the model. It is then glazed and given a final firing.

The lab may also offer a Zyrconia only crown, but you need to ask that. I don't know what your dentist will be willing to do and it may be a very difficult conversation to have. If you find out what lab was used, you could see if the lab will talk to you about options.

The lab that made my teeth is in Northbrook, IL and this is where I worked years ago. If your dentist needs to find a lab for Zyrconia restorations, he could contact them.
https://www.dentallabprofile.com/dental-labs-northbrook-il-schroeder-dental-laboratory-10182/
It sounds like you need a medical provider who can render an opinion about defining the issues specifically. I don't know what your best choice is. This conversation may upset your dentist and end your relationship. If they tell you nothing is wrong, and you are pointing out what it wrong, it would be a very uncomfortable situation. Are you considering a new dentist? I'm sure this is a difficult position to be in and very upsetting. What do you think your next step should be?

Jennifer

I have been reading through this thread. I too have had dry mouth and dry eye problems, reflux, dry cough, thick phlegm, breathing issues. Over the years I have corrected many of the issues like reflux (gave up gluten). Dry mouth and eyes increase my fluid levels especially before I go to bed (drink 12 oz of water). Taking allergy meds for cough, etc.
I still had dry mouth and cough with very thick choking phlegm. I had major dental work on my back molars when I was 12 years old ( I am now 70 years old). 10 years ago I had the major deep filings replaced with a composite type material. Still had the sinus coughing phlegm issues and they seemed to increase. I have been reading about biological dentists and had found a dentist in my area. I have a first appointment schedule for mid July to have a cone beam CT scan of my head and sinus as well as teeth. I am pretty sure I have some sort of infection that is causing my problems.
In the mean time last week my back molar broker off and exposed the original tooth at the gum line. The tooth is not bad doesn't hurt so I am waiting until my appointment with the bio dentist to get it looked at and repaired. That was 7 days ago that the composite material came off. The last few days I have felt better than I have in years, The coughing has stopped. The thick phlegm has disappeared totally. The funny taste in my mouth is gone too.
This leads me to believe I am on the right track in getting the cone beam CT scan. I suspect the tooth was leaking into my sinus area on my right side. The daily headache in my right eye area has disappeared too.
Long story but I would suggest getting a cone beam Ct scan and have your sinus areas and teeth check for inflammation. It should expose any problems around your crown area.
This is just my comments and thoughts after reading your post. I am always searching for solutions too,

Reading through these posts and am hoping that someone has advice for me. I am having a similar issue. Had a crown replaced in August 2024. Old crown was probably 20 years old and was deteriorating and tooth was hurting. Tooth #3. Had temp crown for a few weeks with no issues. Once permanent crown was place, tooth started hurting. Hurt when I bit down on it and just felt off. Went back twice and dentist adjusted it. A month later crown still hurt all the time. Started having terrible vertigo and headaches. Dentist kept insisting crown was fine. Finally referred to endodontist who discoverd an abcess in the root of the tooth (which had previously had a root canal). November 14, 2024 had an apicoectomy on tooth #3. Procedure went well and surgical site healed well. A few weeks later started having pain in my front teeth and a burning sensation on the roof of my mouth in the incisive papilla area behind front teeth. Back to endo who xrayed front teeth as well as tooth# 3 and tested for nerve damage. Says teeth all look fine. Started seeing a new dentist in December who adjusted the crown again and also adjusted my right front tooth which has a large bonded area. The tooth enamel seems to be flaking on the part of the tooth that isn't bonded. Suggested a few mouth rinses for the dry mouth which are not working. I am at my wits end. Mouth is so dry I can't stand it. My whole mouth is hurting, burning sensation on the roof of my mouth will not go away and my whole mouth feels like my bite is off. Where should I go next? Oral surgeon? ENT? I am at my wits end.

Reading through these posts and am hoping that someone has advice for me. I am having a similar issue. Had a crown replaced in August 2024. Old crown was probably 20 years old and was deteriorating and tooth was hurting. Tooth #3. Had temp crown for a few weeks with no issues. Once permanent crown was place, tooth started hurting. Hurt when I bit down on it and just felt off. Went back twice and dentist adjusted it. A month later crown still hurt all the time. Started having terrible vertigo and headaches. Dentist kept insisting crown was fine. Finally referred to endodontist who discoverd an abcess in the root of the tooth (which had previously had a root canal). November 14, 2024 had an apicoectomy on tooth #3. Procedure went well and surgical site healed well. A few weeks later started having pain in my front teeth and a burning sensation on the roof of my mouth in the incisive papilla area behind front teeth. Back to endo who xrayed front teeth as well as tooth# 3 and tested for nerve damage. Says teeth all look fine. Started seeing a new dentist in December who adjusted the crown again and also adjusted my right front tooth which has a large bonded area. The tooth enamel seems to be flaking on the part of the tooth that isn't bonded. Suggested a few mouth rinses for the dry mouth which are not working. I am at my wits end. Mouth is so dry I can't stand it. My whole mouth is hurting, burning sensation on the roof of my mouth will not go away and my whole mouth feels like my bite is off. Where should I go next? Oral surgeon? ENT? I am at my wits end.

Reading through these posts and am hoping that someone has advice for me. I am having a similar issue. Had a crown replaced in August 2024. Old crown was probably 20 years old and was deteriorating and tooth was hurting. Tooth #3. Had temp crown for a few weeks with no issues. Once permanent crown was place, tooth started hurting. Hurt when I bit down on it and just felt off. Went back twice and dentist adjusted it. A month later crown still hurt all the time. Started having terrible vertigo and headaches. Dentist kept insisting crown was fine. Finally referred to endodontist who discoverd an abcess in the root of the tooth (which had previously had a root canal). November 14, 2024 had an apicoectomy on tooth #3. Procedure went well and surgical site healed well. A few weeks later started having pain in my front teeth and a burning sensation on the roof of my mouth in the incisive papilla area behind front teeth. Back to endo who xrayed front teeth as well as tooth# 3 and tested for nerve damage. Says teeth all look fine. Started seeing a new dentist in December who adjusted the crown again and also adjusted my right front tooth which has a large bonded area. The tooth enamel seems to be flaking on the part of the tooth that isn't bonded. Suggested a few mouth rinses for the dry mouth which are not working. I am at my wits end. Mouth is so dry I can't stand it. My whole mouth is hurting, burning sensation on the roof of my mouth will not go away and my whole mouth feels like my bite is off. Where should I go next? Oral surgeon? ENT? I am at my wits end.

Hi @lindaray. You’ve certainly been through the wringer with little ‘ol tooth #3 with a new crown, root canal, an apioectomy and the possible side-related issues in your mouth. You gave very detailed and helpful accounting of what’s transpired over the past year with that tooth.

With the deterioration of the tooth under that old crown from 20 years ago and the pain you were having in the tooth, it’s a possibility that it was already in the beginning stages of dying. It can be difficult to diagnose at that stage and often doesn’t show up on an xray at the apex of the tooth until there is an actual infection. So your dentist, at the time, may not have been aware.

When the crown was placed and it felt off, it may have been due to the tooth (nerves in the tooth) being dead. The pain associated with it could have been from the abscess forming on the apex of the tooth and the tooth might have felt ‘off’ because of lack of sensation with the dead nerve tissue.
It sounds like the infection with the root canal was a little challenging with its recurrence in one of the roots, requiring the apioectomy. Were you given any antibiotics at the time of the root canal treatment or when the abscess was first discovered?

Fast forward to now, with the symptoms of dry and burning mouth that you’re dealing with. That’s a miserable condtion!
I’m not a dentist but as @gingerw mentioned, my career was in the dental field for 30+ years. So I’m digging into experiences I recollect to relay some possibilities. While not common, it is possible for patients to have allergic responses to the material used in the permanent crown. Also not common but possible is long term inflammation from the abscess and root canal treatment which is initiating an autoimmune response. I can recall 2 occasions when patients had long term issues where the resolution was the removal of the offending tooth. Which I’m sure you’re reluctant to do because of the money invested in it already. Again, I’m just tossing these scenarios to you as examples of actual patient experiences.

First it’s important to find the underlying cause of the inflammation. My suggestion is to try your primary care physican, a rheumatologist or a Functional Medicine practitioner to check to see if you have inflammation in your body. This is done through simple blood work and then work from there. The doctor may be able to help you discern if there is any correlation between the tooth and your inflammation or if this triggered an auto immune disease such as S’jogrens symdrome. Which a rhuematologist will be able to diagnosie.

If you’re one to do research this article discusses the potential for autoimmune responses with an abscessed tooth. From PubMed:
Root Canal Infection and Its Impact on the Oral Cavity Microenvironment in the Context of Immune System Disorders in Selected Diseases: A Narrative Review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10298853/

I have burning mouth syndrome related to a medical condition and when I have flares I avoid toothpaste with mint and use children’s toothpaste. I also switched to a super soft child’s brush. I avoid ice, condiments with acid, salt, or hot spices. One thing that seems to offer a level of comfort is ‘Pulling” with coconut oil. 1 teaspoon or more of organic coconut oil. I let it melt over my tongue then swish vigorously around my mouth for 20 minutes. Then spit into a tissue. Not the drain because it will clog eventually.
I hope you find resolution soon and please let me updated, ok?

@lindaray I also want to welcome you. Lori gave you some great advice. I've got some similar experience myself in a situation with my front teeth. I broke my teeth when I was 9 and had lots of dental work done and redone over the years. Eventually, all 4 of my upper front teeth had root canals and crowns, later replaced by a bridge. I was a kid when the first root canals were done, and 50 years later, they started to fail. Because the bridge tied everything together, when the first tooth sent an infection into the jaw bone and ate away the bone around the root, the porcelain tooth didn't get loose. I'd been feeling pain that I thought was sinus pain, so I missed the symptoms until I felt a soft spot in the hard palette area in my mouth because the bone was eroded. I had an apicoectomy to save that tooth.

A couple years later, a second of those front 4 teeth seemed to be going bad. I didn't want to keep going through this waiting for the next one to fail, so I made the decision to get ceramic (Zirconium) implants and new Zirconium teeth. That has been a good decision, and I am careful with oral hygiene because I know implants can fail if an infection gets around them. It's an expensive process too. When you add up the fees for the dentist, the oral surgeon and the dental lab, it's about $5000 per tooth to be replaced with an implant and new crown.

One question I would ask is if you have had any spine injuries or neck injuries such as a whiplash? I am also a spine patient, and have had pain in my neck and jaw that triggers pain in my mouth that is not caused by a dental problem. It can make you think there is a problem with a tooth when it is the nerves that service the mouth that are getting compressed somewhere between the neck and jaw.

Well, I discovered what happened to the post. I got out for spellcheck and lost it. I was able to get your's back. Let me do this again. I have been to my rheumatologist, ENT, a periodontist, doctor, my mom's doctor, and have a second opinion scheduled with another rheumatologist. My rheumatologist listened to me and let me cry. She said she could treat the symptom but was suspect of the tooth. She also did a follow up with me about 3 weeks later. When I went to my doctor, looking in my mouth scared her to death. She put me on a lot of medicines, that didn't help. I hadn't seen my ENT for years. He helped me before with something unrelated. He checked everything and really couldn't offer me anything. He even checked my hearing...He is one of the very best in Arkansas. I went to a periodontist that my dentist recommended. He stated that the crown should be 3 mm (I think) from my other teeth. He stated that one side looked good but said nothing about the other side. I know it is sitting right up against the other tooth. The original dentist, I have called many times. I have even gone by there, and he's an hour from me. He denies it is the tooth. His receptionist says that he's been doing this since 1972, and his dad did it before that. She says that I can pay an office visit for him to tell me the same. He is a Christian man, and I really like him. He just hasn't ever encountered this before evidently. I know that my mouth peeled the first time I had a temporary crown 10 years ago. It stopped when I got the real crown. I was sure that I had told him that back then. I peeled with the temp this time too. I thought it would stop again, but it got much worse. So I am out of ideas. My husband and I discussed coming to Minnesota to Mayo. We have radio stations in Arkansas. I have about 100 people that count on me, not including my family. It's impossible to get away for an extended time. About ten days is all I have, and that has to be well planned out. I am just at my wits end. Yesterday was a very bad day. Today has been a little better. If everyday was like yesterday, I couldn't make it. The former dentist gave me hope. Hope is something I haven't had for some time. I got my temporary crown, and this started at the end of February. From the point of reference of my health, that seems like an eternity ago. It did state "former dentist" as the lady that responded to me. I certainly hope you can find her for me. I would like to chat with her. I want to make a copy of her message to me. She was very specific with her instructions. She talked with assertiveness. I was so happy to find someone who knew what I was talking about. I really appreciate you too for getting back with me. I hope I have answered all your questions. If you have more, just ask. Oh, and the crown set up against my cheek. I can feel it all the time. That is also where my saliva glands are....I think. If one set of the saliva glands runs across the cheek on the inside, then those are swollen. The one against the crown has a sore on it....