I had a dental appointment to finish off a combination of a smile makeover and a reconstruction. I had crowns and veneers put on all my upper teeth. I absolutely love how they look. I’ve never had a prettier smile in my life. What has me worried is the jaw pain I am feeling. Part of the reason I did this was to help reverse my TMJ disorder. Now it hurts more than ever. The dentist said some pain would be normal, but it is four days later. I’ve been taking Ibuprofen like he said, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. The pain gets worse later in the day. Should I be worried? My dentist is on vacation so I don’t know what to do.
Denni
Dear Denni,
The good news is that having your jaw aching four days after that procedure is not anything unusual. You had dental crowns and porcelain veneers placed on every tooth on your upper arch. That would have required to have your jaw propped open for quite some time. On top of that, you were already dealing with jaw pain from your TMJ Disorder, so it was already tender.
The ibuprofen is a good idea. You can add warm compresses if you want. This type of pain can continue for a week or more. However, sometimes anxiety makes it harder for your jaw to relax. Even though your dentist is out of town, they would have made arrangements for another dentist to be available for their patients if anything came up.
You could go in and have the dentist look things over. It could put your mind at ease. Plus, he or she could tell you if there is any other things which could be done to bring you more comfort.
I hope this eases your fear that things are worse.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.
