My dentist placed six crowns in May on upper front teeth to close a large gap. I was embarrassed all my life about the gap, but now I am embarrassed about the crowns. They look thick and they affect my speech making it challenging to pronounce words that begin with “th” and words that have a “c” or “s” sound. My mouth is dry, too, and drinking more water doesn’t seem to help much. I don’t know if it’s my stress level or the crowns making my jaw and neck hurt. Can I reverse the crowns and get my gap back? Thank you. Devon from NJ
Devon,
Thank you for contacting Dr. Gavrilos’ office. We understand your frustration.
Your discomfort is not related to closing your gap but rather to faulty crowns. When you get dental crowns from a skilled dentist, they will not affect your speech or cause pain.
Can You Get the Gap Back Between Your Teeth?
Dental crowns are not reversible. After a dentist prepares your teeth for crowns, it is impossible to remove them and leave your natural teeth exposed. Crown preparation requires shaving down your teeth so that the crowns fit over them. A dentist can remove your current crowns but must replace them with new crowns.
Why Do Dental Crown Cause Pain and Speech Problems?
Well-placed dental crowns do not cause TMJ issues
Dental crowns can cause pain and speech problems when they are too thick or too long. When crowns prevent your lips from closing naturally without effort, a condition called lip incompetence results. Symptoms of lip incompetence include:
- Dry mouth
- Numbness in your lips
- Speech problems
- Uneven bite
- Jaw and neck pain and other TMJ symptoms
Although your pain is concerning, so is your dry mouth. Saliva is your body’s natural defense for washing away bacteria in your mouth, and it contains antibodies for fighting tooth decay. Dry mouth can lead to rampant tooth decay.
We recommend getting a second opinion from a dentist with advanced cosmetic dentistry training and experience to examine your crowns.
Barrington, Illinois dentist Dr. James Gavrilos sponsors this post.