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

@lucybunyard You could ask to be tested for allergies to material in the dental work. I did some testing with a lab in Chicago called Orthopedic Analysis for all the metals in surgical implants. Hopefully you can find functional medicine doctors or those in Environmental Medicine. Those are the doctors who helped me get past the unknowns in my symptoms. Sometimes conventional medicine and Functional medicine are in different camps as to preventing a problem vs treating symptoms.

My dental issues are resolved now and I no longer have any toxic materials in my mouth. I don’t know if that’s totally possible, but safer materials in restorations. Root canals have cadmium in the compound they use, and it plugs the tooth, but the infection is never really cleared because of the small tubules in the tooth and antibiotics do not get in there. When a root canal fails, the infection can move into the jaw bone which is what happened to me. I’m past all of that now and replaced the bad teeth a few years ago with biocompatible ceramic implants and new crowns.

If you do need to keep dental work that you could be allergic to, the Dallas practice treats those symptoms. You can find that information on their website.

Having safer dental work made a big difference in my health and solved some of the issues that some doctors were missing. It’s all good now.

Jennifer

Jennifer, I don't want to just treat the symptoms. Can they in Dallas treat the cause? That's what the rheumatoid doctor wanted to do was to treat the symptoms. I want to illuminate the cause. If it means an implant where that tooth is, so be it. I am tired of this crown. The rheumatoid doctor actually thought it was the tooth. Her words were "suspect." The crown was "suspect." I look forward to your response. I am trying to decide whether to go to the Mayo partner here in Searcy, AR or go to the biomedical center in Dallas. Thank you so much for your help......I am scheduled to take a trip out of the country to see my son in June. I want to be good by then......

@lucybunyard This is a tough decision to make when no one can give you an exact cause. In my case, an infection had spread into my jaw so there was no question. The first time that happened, a surgeon saved the tooth, cleaned out the infection, did a bone graft into the space, and repacked the root canal substance, and I was told the problem could reoccur. I was really upset about the possibility of loosing a front tooth, so no one tried to talk me into it, but that would have been a better decision if I could have let go and replaced them all at that time. I was not emotionally ready for that having been so careful about preventing loss for many years. I had 4 in a row right in front that had root canals and an old bridge from years ago, and some of that had been redone when decay got under them when the cement broke down, so there wasn't much to try to save. When the second tooth seemed to start having issues, I decided not to keep playing along to save them because I knew it was just a mater of time for all of them, and any restoration of 4 together needed to match which wasn't likely if done in different years. That is when I chose to replace them with bio-compatible implants and it probably saved money over try to keep saving each one.

I don't think this can all be resolved in a month. If you have a blood test that indicates a true allergy or immune response to the materials in your crown, that may make this decision easier. If this crown is not causing a problem, removing it may not change your health status. My environmental medicine doctor told me to keep my dental work because it is so expensive and involved to replace it, except for replacing the old silver amalgam fillings. My original dentist (and the ADA) didn't admit they could cause a problem, but they do, and most dentists have moved on to other filling materials. That is where the opinion of a biological dentist helps because they have removed a lot of toxic things from patients. I think that treating symptoms in Dallas would be like allergy shots that train your body not to react. You would still be exposed to it and the effects over the years. Your body has to detoxify everything from end products of metabolism and anything you are exposed to. Like my case, the cement under a crown can break down eventually and decay can set in. If you were to elect implants, there are titanium implants and ceramic non metal Zirconium. Zirconium is not as strong and it depends on your jaw bone structure as to what they can do. Titanium would have been a disaster if I had that from what I've learned from titanium and my broken ankle. A consult with a good oral surgeon can answer that.

There are drugs to suppress the immune system which may be how a rheumatologist would handle this or re-training the immune system with functional medicine. You could call the Dallas office and ask about it and how they treat as well as get another opinion like you suggested. If you decide to remove the tooth, that will take a long time to heal. Can you delay this decision until after your trip? Is it possible that saliva may dry out while you are sleeping if your mouth is open? That has happened to me with post nasal drip that glues itself to the roof of my mouth. The other thing they don't tell you about implants is that they do not want the new tooth to actuality meet and touch other teeth, so the tooth will be shorter and not make contact. If a patient grinds their teeth and there is a lot of pressure on an implant, it can loosen and fail and become infected around it, and you loose the tooth. The mouth creates a seal around it, but not as good as a natural seal around a real tooth. This is a big decision and you should take time to explore your options and get opinions.

Jennifer

Ok, that brings up something else. My crown is still tall even after he ground it down. So when I bite, I feel the bite of the top teeth on it. Also, it is up against my bottom teeth. I understand that this too is a problem as it can damage the surrounding teeth. The periodontist said there should be 3 mm between them. He said that the first side looked good but backed away from me when looking at the other side and not saying anything about it. I can feel it, and it is tight. I think that there could be a problem with both sides. I can also feel the crown pressing up against my cheek all the time. It totally just doesn't feel right at all. I never had trouble with my other crown, and it was made of the same stuff, according to the dentist. I had the crown for 10 years. I did react both times to the temporary crown. Both of them made me peel, or so it felt (saliva probably).

Anyway, I am sick about this. We don't leave until the 3rd week of June. I will try to see if I can do something, get something tomorrow. The former dentist that left me a message said that the crown was too small. The dentist really had to work to get it on.. It took two tries and a lot of time.

Jennifer; I tried the hospital/clinic here in Arkansas that is associated with Mayo and struck out. They are PCPs and not specialty. Anyway, I don't want to be treated for symptoms. I want to be fixed. That being said, I did find out that even though my dentist said that it was the same crown as 10 years ago, that the metal has changed. They couldn't or wouldn't go to the trouble of calling the lab. They said that there are so many metals that make it up.... or that is what I understood them trying to say..... Do you have any suggestions? The former dentist that sent me a message said that it was a fit problem. My dentist said that the fit was good. The periodontist sent a letter to my dentist (he was referred by my dentist) saying that the crown was good. I need advice. I feel this crown in my mouth without even trying. It is a bother to me all the time. Thank you so much for your patience with me.

@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 asked the dentist to furnish me the product data sheets for the temp crown and the zyrconia crown. Monday I will call back and also ask for the data sheets for the crowns 10 years ago. This will help the biomedical lab with testing. If I don't get what I want on Monday or at least a call back as to why, I will contact the Arkansas State Board of Dentistry, where we have a friend as executive director. I love my dentist, but I am not going to put up with being mistreated. His receptionist has been saying that nothing is different from 10 years ago to recently. She has been quite hateful and has said that she is saying what my dentist told her to. When I talked again with her on Wednesday, she said my dentist wanted to talk to me. She asked for my phone number. That was funny because they always call me every 6 months for an appointment reminder.... I have had the same number for 35 ish years. The dentist never called back.... This is day 3. Anyway, she stated that it still wasn't the crown, but that everything was DIFFERENT...the temp crown and real one from 10 years ago and the more recent ones were each different from the other... I said all it takes is one element that I am allergic to in common! The medical lab in Dallas wants those product data sheets. My medical doctor said it is like a bottle of bleach in his cleaning closet. He could call the manufacturer, and they would be obligated to send him the sheet. He said that is true with anything in his office! So why am I having trouble getting them? Why am I having trouble at all? It looks like they would be bending over backwards to help me!!!! I seem to be getting worse each day. I am not producing much saliva and don't get hungry..... I am concerned.

Well, I removed my zirconium crown this morning. My mouth is still getting dry, probably not as dry as before. I do have acid reflux, that is treated by a gastro doc. I guess, after research, that this is an important fact. Probably, the acid is reacting to the zirconium. I hope that is the case. I awoke the last two nights and had plenty of saliva. After the reflux, I had dry mouth. So, Jennifer, please share with me your thoughts. My dentist, the same one, is planning to put in a ceramic crown with a metal base. I think it should be solid ceramic or porcelain. Do you think I could be in the same boat if he uses metal?

@lucybunyard I don't know how your body will react to metals in a dental crown. I had crowns with base metals including one that was titanium, and I only know that my body reacted because when they were removed and my body became metal free, my asthma improved immediately with less phlegm in my lungs, and when I fractured my ankle and had to accept titanium fixation hardware, my asthma became worse again immediately with increased phlegm and within 6 months I had other symptoms of chronic hives, pain and skin discoloration. Then when I had the titanium hardware removed, my health improved immediately when I became metal free again. In my case, getting dental crowns and implants made of Zirconia was a big improvement for my health, and my biological dentist said that they were bio-compatible because of not containing metals. Zirconia is a kind of ceramic. While I understand that your dental crown didn't fit correctly from your description, that may not be the cause of dry mouth and oral symptoms, and I am not a medical specialist so I have no expert opinion about your situation.

I reread your original post, and having Sjogren's Syndrome does affect the body causing dry mouth. Do you think that this may explain your symptoms? I don't have this, so I don't have relatable experience. Have you discussed this possibility with your physician? Prescription medications also may have side effects that cause dry mouth.

I didn't know what material your crown was made from, and since you didn't tell me it was Zirconia, I thought you were describing metal based crowns. I know decisions are difficult when you don't have a lot of exact information. My personal experience was that removing dental work with metal and replacing it with Zirconia was a big improvement. I know you expressed urgency in resolving the situation, but rushing into an anxious decision may be a mistake. You should take advice from your consulting medical and dental providers and seek other opinions if you are unsure of their recommendations. I have not found any reference to Zirconia reacting with acids in the mouth. Everything I read indicates it is stable.

Here is medical literature about Zirconia in dental restorations.

"The Zirconia Ceramic: Strengths and Weaknesses"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4026739/

You may be interested in this literature about how metals in dental restorations react with the acids of the mouth. I found these quotes in the following literature:
"patients with autoimmune diseases often have hypersensitivity to metals. "

"the most common clinical manifestations of adverse effects associated with dental alloys include allergic reactions, mouth burning, and white oral lesions. Regarding hypersensitivity, it may be diagnosed by the use of skin or blood tests. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of oral galvanism remains a complicated issue since, to date, there is no standardized method for the determination of intra-oral electric currents."

If you look at section 3, there are detailed descriptions of issues caused by reactions to metals with photographs of oral lesions. This is worth your time.

"Minimization of Adverse Effects Associated with Dental Alloys"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9658402/

Here is a link to Mayo information about Sjogren's.

I hope this helps with your decision.

Jennifer

Jennifer, the zirconium crown had a metal base. That is what I was told. I also researched, after a friend called me, into the rare side effects of Pepcid. It too has dry mouth as a side effect. My doc increased my dosage of Pepcid by double on Feb 7. I got my temp crown on Feb 28 and the real crown on March 26. I began this problem at about March 4th or so. It kicked in high gear after the new crown. My friend was having mini strokes after using Pepcid. She was in very bad shape. I believe GOD is leading me. I had to go to the emergency room this morning things were so bad. They didn't help any.... It's the weekend, and I thought that I couldn't wait until Tuesday. One RN came out the door after me. Now, he was helpful! My son and I immediately went to Walmart to get the things he recommended. He also advised me about my pills. I am just so worn out!!!! I am so tired of this and physically too.