I’ve had two crown adjustments this month on an upper left molar. My dentist ground down the crown to adjust my bite. On neither occasion did he rinse my mouth. He just did the crown and sent me on my way. The crown feels natural now, and I don’t have any problems with my bite. However, I am concerned about the harm of swallowing porcelain dust, powder, or whatever glass partials are in it. I should have insisted that the dentist irrigate my mouth because I’m so anxious about it now. What symptoms should I watch for? Thanks. Symone
Symone,
We understand your concerns.
It is unprofessional for a dentist to neglect irrigating your mouth and allowing you to swallow debris from a dental procedure. Although dental materials are safe for your mouth, they should not be swallowed in large quantities. The protocol is to irrigate your mouth and use high-volume suction to remove the water and debris.
Nevertheless, porcelain is biocompatible, so you should not experience any signs or symptoms if you swallow debris from the dental crown. Although a dental crown contains some glass, it contains more feldspar, silica, and clay. Tiny glass particles in dental porcelain are not sharp and will not harm you.
If your anxiety about swallowing porcelain particles persists, call your dentist and explain your concerns. Your dentist should reassure you of the safety of the materials used in your mouth. You can ask your dentist to explain why he adjusted your crown without suctioning out the tiny particles left from the crown.
Sugar Land implant and cosmetic dentist Dr. Siny Thomas sponsors this post. Read how he strives to give patients some of the best dental care in Sugar Land.