Archives for September 2021

Did dental treatment cause my TMJ symptoms?

Posted on September 30, 2021 by AllSmiles.

My teeth were in horrible shape, so my dentist placed eight temporary crowns on my lower almost two weeks ago, and since that time, I have had terrible jaw pain. I am scheduled for four porcelain veneers in a month. Although I do not like taking pain meds, I take ibuprofen twice daily. I deal with the pain the rest of the time. My dentist is out of town through next week due to a death in his family. Is my pain normal, or should I schedule an appointment with another dentist? I am worried that my bite is off and causing me to develop what feels like TMJ. – Thank you, Karla, from KY

Karla,

Thank you for your question.

You have had extensive dental work on your lower teeth, so we understand that you are pretty uncomfortable. What you describe does not sound unreasonable for reconstructing your teeth. Preparing eight teeth for crowns requires keeping your mouth open for an extending period.

Did Dental Treatment Cause TMJ?

Your jaw muscles can become sore and stiff during and after long dental sessions. Other than taking ibuprofen, you can apply moist warm towels to the sides of your face. Continue to rest your jaw and avoid foods that are chewy or sticky. Rest your jaw as much as possible. The symptoms you describe should be only temporary and not require TMJ treatment. Not all jaw pain is related to TMJ.

Other TMJ symptoms include:

Earaches
Ringing in the ears
Neck pain
Headaches
Jaw locking, popping, or clicking

Your dentist has probably arranged another dentist for on-call emergencies. If your pain worsens or lingers, call the dental office, and ask about arrangements your dentist may have for follow-up care.

Duane Delaune, DDS, a cosmetic dentist of Metairie, New Orleans, sponsors this post.

Need some advice for a badly decayed first molar tooth

Posted on September 27, 2021 by AllSmiles.

My bottom right first molar is decayed and does not have a second molar behind it. My dentist wants to try to save it with a root canal, and if that does not work, she recommends a dental implant. The tooth is far enough back that I wonder if removing it and doing something like a half snap-on smile would work. I work from home, so I would only need to wear artificial teeth when I socialize. My dentist says that if I want an extraction, I need to find another dentist. She hates removing teeth. Do you mind offering your opinion? Thank you. Tytus from GA

Tytus,

Thank you for your question.

If you have already lost your second molar, removing the first molar would leave you without any lower right molars. We want to help you understand the effects of removing your first molar.

Effect of Lacking Molar Teeth on One Side

If you have no molar teeth on one side of your mouth, it will affect you in these ways:

Chewing – You will not be able to chew on that side of your mouth. And you will add stress to the teeth on the other side of your mouth. As molar teeth on the left side of your mouth wear, you will eventually need to eat soft foods that do not require a lot of chewing unless you get some form of long-lasting tooth replacement.
Temporary replacement teeth – A Snap-on Smile and similar products do not replace the function of molar teeth. Even if you wear it for socializing, it is not durable. You will need to replace it repeatedly.
Tooth misalignment – When one tooth is missing, nearby and opposing teeth begin to drift into the space. Without molars on the lower right side of your mouth, your teeth will start to move, detract from your smile, and create orthodontic issues.

Treatment Options for a Decayed First Molar Tooth

If your molar tooth is damaged, your treatment options likely include:

Root canal treatment – Your dentist can try to save your tooth with root canal treatment and a dental crown. Saving the tooth will prevent surrounding and opposing teeth from shifting. Root canal treatment is less expensive than extraction and a dental implant or dentures.
Dental implant – If root canal treatment fails and your dentist cannot save the tooth, a dental implant can replace it without damaging your oral health. An implant has an artificial root and a crown. It will function as a healthy natural tooth.
Partial denture – Although a partial denture can replace a missing tooth, it must attach to other teeth to stay in place. Over time, the pressure from the clasps of a partial denture weakens healthy teeth.

We recommend talking to your dentist about your concerns with root canal treatment. If your tooth is healthy enough, root canal treatment is the best way to save it and avoid a series of temporary solutions that require replacement.

Best wishes.

Duane Delaune, DDS, a cosmetic dentist of Metairie, New Orleans, sponsors this post.

I Paid for a Crown But Now the Dentist Says I Need a Root Canal

Posted on September 15, 2021 by AllSmiles.

The filling in my lower left second molar cracked, and the tooth cracked. My dentist removed the filling and put a crown on the tooth in June. I felt pain most of the appointment. When my dentist checked my bite, it hurt. Within three days, I returned to the office because it hurt to chew with the tooth and floss between it. The dentist asked me to return early last month for a new crown. When I went in for the crown, the dentist said I needed a root canal after all because the tooth had a periapical abscess. I was upset because the dentist never told me that I might need a root canal eventually. I do not want a root canal, but the dentist says my other option is extraction. Should I have to pay for the extraction, and should I request a refund for a crown that I will lose along with the tooth? – Marco from GA

Marco,

Thank you for contacting us about your case. Yes, your dentist’s work was sloppy. A cracked molar and filling mean that the tooth is already weak. Putting a crown on the tooth without checking its condition is careless. And your dentist should have mentioned root canal treatment. Then you returned to the office for an attempted second time, but you had a periapical abscess. We understand your frustration and not wanting any more treatment from this dentist. But why not consider root canal treatment?

Reasons to Consider Root Canal Treatment

A periapical abscess is a sack of pus from an infection that settles at the tooth roots. And it means the living tissue inside your tooth is dead. A dentist can drill into your tooth, remove the dead pulp, and refill the tooth—and it will be painless. So, root canal treatment would not hurt, but extraction can be traumatic.

Effects of tooth extraction

Root canal treatment is more manageable than extraction for other reasons. Consider the effect of tooth extraction:

Surrounding teeth will drift toward the space of the missing tooth
Your tooth alignment and bite will change
You will need a dental bridge or an implant to replace the tooth and prevent other teeth from moving
Without tooth replacement, you can also develop TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder, including jaw pain, earaches, neck pain, headaches, and more

Ask for a Refund

You agreed to a dental crown to restore your tooth, but it didn’t work. And now, instead of a second tooth, you need root canal treatment. It is appropriate to ask your dentist for a refund. If your dentist does not admit his mistakes, explain that you received faulty work—not a solution.

You can see a cosmetic dentist for a second opinion. Afterward, you can use the results of the visit to ask your dentist for a refund. Best wishes for a fair resolution.

Duane Delaune, DDS, a cosmetic dentist of Metairie, New Orleans, sponsors this post.

Can a dentist improve the color of my dental crowns?

Posted on September 9, 2021 by AllSmiles.

Last December, my dentist whitened my teeth with Zoom. In February 2021, I got four dental crowns on my front teeth. Last month, I noticed discoloration in the crowns. And now, they are turning yellow. I am not a heavy coffee drinker. I drink coffee two or three times a week. I’m disappointed that I went through whitening my teeth and getting crowns to match, but now the crowns are turning yellow. I think I know the answer, but I must ask. Is the color change reversible? What is causing it? – Thanks for your help. Avery from SC

Avery,

We are sorry to hear about your experience with your new crowns turning yellow.

Why Do New Dental Crowns Turn Yellow?

When new dental crowns turn yellow, several factors might be responsible, including damage during a dental cleaning, surface damage when you received the crowns, and the composition of your crowns.

Damage during dental cleaning – Sometimes, a dental hygienist can mistakenly use chemicals that damage porcelain restorations.
Sodium bicarbonate – If a hygienist uses a Prophy Jet or another power cleaning instrument on porcelain crowns or veneers, sodium bicarbonate (a chemical tooth-cleaning substance) can remove the glaze. Glaze damage will leave your crowns at risk for staining.
Acidulated fluoride – This chemical substance etches away glaze on porcelain restorations.
Damaged crown surface – Sometimes, when a dentist must adjust the front surfaces of crowns, they can damage the glaze. Or the laboratory may not have glazed the crowns properly.
Crown composition – At times, yellowing crowns are dental composite instead of porcelain. You can verify with your dentist whether you have porcelain or composite crowns

Can You Lighten Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns are colorfast, and a dentist cannot change the color. An advanced cosmetic dentist can make new crowns and achieved an expert match to your natural teeth after Zoom whitening.

Dental Crowns Second Opinion

Dental crowns

We recommend that you look for an advanced cosmetic dentist and schedule an appointment for an exam. The dentist will examine your crowns and determine why they are yellowing.

Dr. Duane Delaune, a cosmetic dentist in Metairie, LA, sponsors this post.