I had a full mouth reconstruction and I feel like I am worse off than before I got it. At first when I first started getting it, I thought it would be okay. The temporaries started out okay but then I had trouble with part of it not feeling quite right. The dentist told me that when they did the permanent crowns that wouldn’t be a problem. That did not end up being the case. Right now my biggest problem is some of my teeth on one side of my mouth do not touch. This makes the teeth on the other side hurt quite a bit when I try to chew anything. My dentist said it is nothing to worry about and I’ll adjust to it, but I haven’t. This feels like a bigger problem than my dentist was suggesting. Am I over reacting? Will I get used to it?
John
Dear John,
I’m glad you wrote. Your dentist has lied to you a couple of times. First, your temporary crowns will not be different from the permanent ones. In fact, the temporary crowns only exist to make sure that the permanent crowns will be exactly what you need. In fact, the permanent crowns are a copy of the temps.
Second, the reason it hurts when you’re chewing is because your teeth are not occluding (coming together) properly. This is a huge deal and means your bite is completely thrown off. Not only will this continue to cause you to have massive amounts of pain while you eat, but it will lead to TMJ disorder.
You need to have this case redone. It does not sound like your dentist is qualified to do this procedure. I would ask for a full refund. Then, you need to find a dentist who could be considered a TMJ specialist. Now bear in mind that there is not a recognized specialty in TMJ. However, there are some dentists who have done extensive training in TMJ Treatment. Dental school is not enough. It is important the dentist has extensive post-doctoral training.
A full mouth reconstruction is one of the hardest procedures there is. You want someone who has studied at one of the following locations: the Pankey Institute, the Dawson Academy, the Spear Institute. There are others, but these are among the top ones.
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