I recently had a crown placed on one of my molars. It was a very long process from prep appointment to when the crown was cemented. I spent a lot of time in the dental chair with my mouth wide open and now my bite doesn’t feel right. I’ve been having headaches, stiffness in my jaw and pain in my face. I’ve researched my symptoms and they sound a lot like TMJ. Could getting the crown have started this? — Steve in Montana
Steve,
There are several things that can create joint/muscle symptoms, and that includes a poorly fitted crown or other dental restorations. Even if your dentist says your crown is properly fitted, it changes the bite and can cause TMJ (which is usually the result of malocclusion or the misalignment of teeth). Be sure to have your dentist check the tooth in question and do a complete bite evaluation. If he can make any slight adjustments, that may fix your problem. When your bite is even on both sides this keeps the disc of the jaw joint in a natural, comfortable position. It may not even be the restoration, but rather the amount of time you had to keep your mouth open during the appointments that put strain on the muscles and disc in the joint.
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