Dental Crowns

I need some advice. I had six dental crowns done. They are zirconia. My cheek was aching and my dentist suggested that she adjust them. After grinding them down, I had some hives develop. My dentist said this is normal and I’m probably allergic to the dust from the grinding. The hives did go away, but my mouth is still hurting. It’s uncomfortable when I eat and one side hits before the other. Am I allergic to these? Is that the problem?

Jen

Dear Jen,

It is unlikely that you are allergic to the crowns. Not only is zirconia very biocompatible, but the hives would have continued if the dental crowns were causing an allergic reaction.

My guess is that your hives are a result of a phenomenon known as burning mouth syndrome. We don’t know the exact cause of it, but stressful dental appointments seem to be a common factor. I would not have been an easy appointment to get your crowns ground down. Zirconia is very tough so that would have been stressful to you. If the hives are gone now, I would not stress about it.

What concerns me more, is the fact that your teeth are still not meeting together properly. This means your dentist either didn’t place the crowns correctly, or by grinding them down, she threw off the bite. It could even be a combination of both.

You want this fixed. I would insist that she get the crowns to where your teeth come together comfortably. If she doesn’t think she can do that or if she can’t do it after the next appointment, then I suggest you ask for an appointment and then see a dentist who has some training in occlusion, such as with TMJ Disorder.

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