My front teeth were badly decayed, so my dentist recommended crowns for the 8 top front teeth. Although I did not have gap before the crowns, I have one now. Also, the crowns are too big and learning to speak with them must be more stressful than I realize because my jaw and neck are sore. My lips are numb and cracked, and my mouth is dry. I probably have my mouth open more than I realize. I thought my dentist could have my teeth with crowns, but now I am worried that I might need dental implants instead. Is it possible to make the crowns smaller and still close the gap? – Thank you. Kyle from KY
Thank you for your question, Kyle. We are sorry to hear about your experience.
Should New Dental Crowns Create a Gap?
New dental crowns should not create a new gap between your teeth. You should have no discomfort, speech issues, or dry mouth with new crowns. The symptoms you describe make us think that your dentist opened your bite too far.
When Your Crowns Are Too Thick or Long
When your dental crowns are too thick or long, your lips cannot close naturally without effort, your bite is off. Your dry mouth and lips suggest that your dentist could not correct your bite—perhaps because your crowns are oversized. A misaligned bite can cause jaw, speech, and neck pain. And the jaw issues can lead to jaw joint disorder, or TMJ.
Consult with a Cosmetic Dentist
Although it is unlikely that you will need dental implants, ongoing dry mouth promotes tooth decay. Only if you develop tooth decay and leave it untreated could it result in extractions and dental implants. Your dry mouth is minimizing the cleaning effects of saliva of your mouth.
Please do not allow the situation to linger. Your dentist does not understand how to customize crowns to fit your mouth or align your bit. So we recommend scheduling an appointment with an accredited or advanced cosmetic dentist to examine your crowns. Unfortunately, it is too late to resize your crowns, but you can get new ones. Talk to your current dentist about paying for your extended care from another dentist or giving you a refund.
Accredited cosmetic dentist David Finley, DDS of Bayou Dental Group in Monroe sponsors this post.
