Is Zirconia Crown Dust from Bite Adjustments Causing My Hives?

My dentist is ruining my zirconia crowns while trying to correct my occlusion. He has ground down all ten new crowns. After multiple adjustments, my lips and gums broke out in hives. Is the debris from shaving my crowns irritating my mouth? I got the crowns last August, but my bite is still off. If I am experiencing sensitivity from the crowns, I dread the thought that I will need to start all over with new crowns. Could the zirconia power be causing a reaction? – Thanks. Crandall from MO

 

Crandall,

Grinding down tough new zirconia crowns is challenging and can cause discomfort while sitting in a dental chair.

Can Zirconia Crown Dust Cause a Reaction?

Although you could have a reaction to zirconia dust from your dentist grinding on the crowns, the particles would clear your system and the reaction should resolve. Although we have no confirmed cases of reactions to zirconia, it is not impossible that some people are sensitive to it. However, if you have a zirconia sensitivity, you would have experienced it before your dentist’s attempts to adjust your bite.

The hives you describe seem to be a reaction to stressful dental experiences. Stressful events, including stressful dental experiences, can trigger burning mouth syndrome.

Get a Second Opinion for Your Bite Adjustment

When your bite is off with dental crowns and your dentist cannot adjust it, your jaw muscles spasm. You can develop earaches, headaches, neck pain, or other symptoms related to TMJ disorder. We recommend getting a second opinion and an exam from a dentist with post-graduate occlusion and bite training.  This advanced training is not taught in the standard dental curriculum.

Look for a dentist with training for one of these institutes:

• The L.D. Pankey Institute in Florida
• The Dawson Academy in Florida
• Spear Education in Arizona
• The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies in Nevada

 

Once your bite is harmonious, the related discomfort will improve. The irritating hives may diminish with less stress during dental appointments. Meanwhile, if you feel anxious about additional dental procedures, you can ask your new dentist about sedation options.

Dr. Thaddeus Michalski, a Rocky Hill, Connecticut dentist sponsors this post.

Which Crowns Can Hide a Dark Front Tooth?

The porcelain fused to metal crowns on my center front teeth are 20 years old and look like it. I love to smile and want to know the best crown types. One tooth is dark from a root canal. What crowns should I ask for? Thanks. TJ

 

TJ

Cosmetic dentists use all-ceramic crowns to produce beautiful results that even a trained specialist can’t distinguish from natural teeth. Any all-ceramic option will withstand the forces of biting with your front teeth. Your choice of a cosmetic dentist is more important than the crown selection. Look for a dentist with keen artistic ability and allow them to choose ceramic crowns. Advanced cosmetic dentists collaborate with a master ceramist who knows dental materials and can recommend a crown type based on your surrounding teeth and the condition of the teeth beneath the crowns.

How Can a Crown Conceal a Dark Front Tooth?

A cosmetic dentist will prepare a dark tooth for a crown by masking the color with an opaquer. Options for blocking out the dark color include:

• Applying a composite buildup material over the natural tooth before placing the crown
• Asking a master ceramist to add an opaque layer in feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate, or zirconia crown to hide the dark tooth. Zirconia and lithium disilicate may require a thin layer of feldspathic porcelain on the surface to look natural
• Selecting e.max crowns, which have a lithium disilicate core, and applying feldspathic porcelain over the crown

Instead of choosing a crown type and asking a dentist to use it, look for an expert cosmetic dentist. Their advanced training will help them select a crown for your needs and conceal the dark took. Selecting the crown first without knowing a dentist’s credentials can yield unattractive crowns for your front teeth. Schedule consultations with two expert cosmetic dentists to discuss options for natural-looking results with crowns on front teeth.

Rocky Hill cosmetic dentist Dr. Thaddeus Michalski sponsors this post.