Can acupuncture cause parotid nerve damage

[imvron]

Okay, here's a long story, but I'm looking for answers.  At the end of January, I went to the dentist to get work done for a dental bridge to cover tooth #14.  When the dentist put in the temporary bridge, the saliva flow increased in my mouth.  It drove me crazy, but I was told that happens and I'd get used to it.  When the permanent bridge went in, the saliva flow increased a little or maybe stayed the same, but it still annoyed me, but nothing too bothersome.  It was livable.  A week and a half later (Feb. 27, 2010), I went to an acupuncturist to have acupuncture for a sinus headache.  This was the first time I had ever gone.  He put the needles on my face (forehead, scalp, beside my nose, near or below my ears, maybe behind my ears (can't remember for sure), two on my hands and two or three on my stomach and left them in for 45 minutes, checking on me probably about every 15 minutes.  During that session and since, the saliva in my mouth has really increased to the point that I couldn't sleep that night because the saliva flow was so bad I was swallowing what felt like every 10 seconds (but not to the point it was so much that I was drooling or anything like that).  I went to my GP that Monday morning, and she gave me Robinul to dry up my mouth and Ambien to sleep.  Over the past 2 weeks, it's gotten a little better, meaning not as much increased saliva, but still enough that it is more than it was before.  Sorry for the lengh, but my question is, could the needle have damaged the parotid gland or caused some sort of salivary gland nerve damage?  Is it possible that the procedure just overstimulated the salivary glands?  If so, will it eventually decrease?  Since I had the increased saliva flow from the bridge, I had my dentist take it out on March 4, and I currently have temp caps in my mouth (one silver and one arcylic).  The bridge is being broken down into crowns, so I'm very skeptical of putting them back in because of all the stuff that is going on, but I paid good money and can't afford to throw that kind of money away.  I'm trying to isolate what the problem is.  Any help anyone can give me will be much appreciated.  My dentist wasn't any help looking at the salivary glands.  I'm currently seeing an ENT for allergy testing, but I want to find out what doc I can go to, if not the ENT, to have some test or milk the glands to see if the flow is normal.  Would there be a way to find out if the salivary glands nerves are damaged?  Someone I know speculated that if they were damaged, the flow would decrease not increase.  I'm not a doctor, so I don't know what is true.  Can an allergic reaction to anything increase the flow of saliva?  I need answers.  The past three weeks have been hell for me.  Too much saliva in my mouth is making me not want to talk and it is disrupting my sleep.  The medication to dry up my mouth is doing just that, and that's not good either.  I'd rather not take the medicine if I can avoid it.  Help!!  Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[imvron]

The bridge is gone, but the crowns are going back into today.  I would have thought the saliva would have gone down when the bridge was removed.  I'll talk to the dentist again.  I do want to have someone check the flow of the saliva to reassure me that it is normal and that there is nothing wrong with the duct.  I talked to another doctor yesterday, and he said that any allergic reaction to the crowns or materials in the crowns would not in any way increase the saliva, so that's reassuring, and he also said that there is no way the needle from the acupuncture damaged the parotid gland.  He said it would be virtually impossible.  Also good to know.  Thanks for your comment.  Things are starting to look up.  I don't feel as helpless.  I will get a resolution to this one way or the other because I can't keep letting this consume my life.  I want everything back to normal.

[gymdandee]

My wife had a bridge made and the dentist said expect to produce more saliva for a while.
and that you could even drool but it will get back to normal. Don't worry be happy!

[imvron]

Not yet.  I called to make an appointment with a Periodontist who pulled my tooth last year.  If he can't help, then I plan on making an appointment with an oral surgeon.  I'd like to get this resolved because this is starting to consume my life.

[gymdandee]

Have you seen an Oral Surgeon ?