This Full-Mouth Reconstruction is Going Badly
I have been going to my dentist to fix my teeth. He’s doing crowns on every single tooth. I wasn’t convinced this was necessary because this whole thing stemmed from me mentioning my morning headaches. He said its probably from TMJ, then before I knew what was happening this was scheduled. I feel like everything is spiraling out of control. What has me worried at this point is the temporary teeth. My jaw hurts so much. On one side of my mouth the teeth don’t touch at all. The other side feels swollen, like the teeth are touching too soon. I pointed this out to my dentist and he said this first fitting is just to make sure the crowns fit in my mouth. The touching comes with the permanent ones. I know I am not a dentist, but this just doesn’t seem right to me. Do I go through with this? Though, now that I ask the question I’m wondering if I even have a choice. The real teeth are already ground down.
Casey
Dear Casey,
Please do not let this dentist bond the permanent crowns on you until the temporary crowns fit you perfectly. The permanent crowns are modeled after the temporaries, so nothing will be different. If he does not agree to that, tell him you are going to finish this procedure out with another dentist. When crowns are done properly, you won’t notice them at all. How your teeth meet together is called occlusion. Both sides should meet together at the same time. I’m worried your dentist is in over his head.
When it comes to TMJ treatment, generally a full-mouth reconstruction is a last resort sort of treatment when all other less invasive treatments have been unsuccessful. Based on what you wrote above, it doesn’t sound like he even tried other solutions.
I’d like you to look for someone with extensive post-doctoral training in reconstructive procedures such as dental implants, crowns, and TMJ. This is one of the most advanced procedures a dentist can do and I’m not convinced yours can.
If you do decide you need to go to a different dentist, you do not have to start from scratch. Your dentist is ethically obligated to provide all the diagnostics and notes on your treatment with whomever you choose to continue the care.
This blog is brought to you by Douglas, AZ Dentist Dr. Tostado.
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