jaw pain Archives - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

My Top Teeth Don’t Show When I Smile

Posted on July 21, 2023 by AllSmiles.

When I smile, you can barely see my upper teeth. Sometimes when the weather is cold, my jaw feels tight, and I cannot pronounce certain words. I am self-conscious about it. I want to do something about it. I wear a night guard for teeth grinding and jaw and neck pain. I saw a dentist recommending crowns, but I would like to know if that is the only option. If I ever get this straight, teeth whitening is next on my wish list. Where do I start? – Cynthia from CT

Cynthia

Your description sounds like your bite collapsed, and you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. A dentist may be able to open your bite with crowns, but you need an experienced dentist for an accurate diagnosis.

Opening Your Bite and Restoring Your Smile

Skilled dentists open your bite with a temporary restoration. If successful, they will duplicate the temporary crowns with the final crowns. What determines your temporary restorations’ success?

You no longer have teeth or jaw pain.
You love your smile and how it affects your facial appearance.
Your upper teeth show when you smile.
The restoration resolves issues with your speech.

Choosing a Dentist for TMJ and Bite Issues

Consult with a dentist with training in occlusion, bite, and TMJ treatment

A general or family dentist must have advanced training in full-mouth reconstruction to resolve all the issues with your teeth, bite, and jaw.

In the United States, several high-quality institutes offer advanced training to dentists on occlusion and bite so your jaw, teeth, and bite are in harmony. Look for dentists with advanced training from one or more of these training facilities:

Dawson Academy, Florida
D. Pankey Institute, Florida
Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, Nevada

We recommend scheduling consultations with at least two dentists with advanced training and experience in full-mouth reconstruction. List your questions and prepare to take notes to compare your options from each dentist. Also, tell the dentist you want teeth whitening as part of your smile makeover. The dentist will include it in your treatment plan.

Metairie, Louisiana, dentist Dr. Duane Delaune sponsors this post.

Why Does One of My Three Dental Crowns Hurt?

Posted on April 4, 2023 by AllSmiles.

One of my upper left molars has been hurting for two months. My dentist thought the tooth might be fractured and covered it with the crown. It hurts even when I chew soft food. When I put pressure on the tooth with my finger, it feels better, but the pain returns when I lift my finger. This is so weird.

My dentist adjusted the crown, but the teeth still hurt. I’ve had other crowns with no problems like this. Is something wrong with my bite? What could be causing my tooth pain? – Thanks. Carlton from Gatlinburg, TN

Carlton

Thank you for your question.

Your description sounds like your bite is still off.

Why Does Your Dental Crown Hurt?

A poorly placed crown can push your teeth out of alignment and cause pain. Pain from decay or infection in your teeth will not improve if you push down on them, so decay or infection is not the problem. Either your gums or the crown is causing your symptoms.

Untreated concerns with dental crowns can lead to TMJ discomfort

If your dentist adjusts your bite correctly, you can clench your teeth and put pressure on them without discomfort. Your dentist might need to adjust other teeth, too. She may be hesitant about adjusting your teeth if she only worked on the tooth that has the crown. Sometimes small shifts in one tooth affect others, and adjusting adjacent teeth is the only way to align your bite correctly.

A misaligned bite can cause problems like these:

TMJ disorder
Headaches
Neck pain
Nighttime teeth grinding
Jaw pain

Get a second opinion if your dentist is unable to correct your bite. You can look for a dentist with advanced training in occlusion and bite.

Metairie cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune sponsors this post. Read details about how Dr. Delaune strives to provide some of the best dental care in Metairie.

My Mouth is Collapsed

Posted on May 5, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have always had problems with some teeth grinding. I wear a mouth guard at night as a result. That is the only time I feel like people can see my teeth and my jaw even hurts less. When I am not wearing it, my jaw hurts, you can’t see my teeth even when I smile, and I’m having trouble pronouncing some letters. My dentist is suggesting porcelain veneers. I just want to make sure I understand all my options. Is this the way I should go?

LeeAnn

Dear LeeAnn,

I want you to be very careful here. While porcelain veneers could improve the appearance, if your dentist has artistic skill with cosmetic work, it will not solve the pain your are in. It sounds like your bite has collapsed as a result of the teeth grinding. This is going to lead to TMJ Disorder, which will put you in even more pain.

The solution in a case like yours is to have a full-mouth reconstruction, which means putting a crown on every tooth in order to build your bite back into the right position. However, this is the single most advanced procedure in general dentistry. It is not taught adequately in dental school. You will need a dentist who has invested a lot of post-doctoral training in both TMJ Treatment and Reconstructive Dentistry.

If this is done incorrectly, you will end up in more pain than before. In your position, I would look for a dentist who has significant training in one of the following institutions.

The Pankey Institute
Dawson Academy
The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies

The first two are located in Florida. The last one is (obviously) located in Las Vegas. They will have the knowledge necessary to make sure when they do build up your bite, they do it correctly.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

does tmj mean surgery?

Posted on June 6, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m 27 years old and have been dealing with a significant amount of jaw pain. I did some research online and it sounds like I may have TMJ. Everything I read says the treatments for this are jaw reconstruction or having all your teeth re-made. That sounds terrifying to me. In fact, I’m a little too scared to see a dentist about it in case they say that is what I need. Are there any other options? What happens if I just don’t treat it and just deal with the pain with medications?

Morgan

Dear Morgan,

Before you panic, let me assure you there are many causes and solutions for TMJ Disorder. As you can see from the image above, your TMJ joint is similar to your knee joint. It has movable parts and a disc which serves as a buffer. There are also lots of muscles that help with the various movements requisite to good jaw function. This is known as the temporomandibular joint (hence the TMJ).

Treatments like full-mouth reconstruction or jaw surgery are for the most severe cases, usually after years of going without treatment or a tragic accident. It doesn’t sound like that is what you’re dealing with.

The first step to any treatment is a diagnosis of what is causing the problem in the first place.

Two Causes for TMJ Disorder

One common cause for this is pressure you’ve put on the jaw joint. This is done through clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth. This often happens without a patient even realizing it because they do it in their sleep.

If you get treatment for this early on, before too much damage is done, there is no invasive treatment. It can often be handled simply by wearing a night guard to protect your teeth and add some cushion to assist with the pressure on your jaw.

Another cause is misalignment of your bite. Our teeth shift over time. It could be that yours have shifted in a way that has caused pressure on your jaw.

In some cases, this can be fixed with orthodontics such as Invisalign. Other, more severe cases, will require a full-mouth reconstruction. This latter treatment can also happen if you don’t get teeth grinding under control and your teeth get worn down to nubs.

Full-Mouth Reconstruction

With this procedure a dentist has to crown all of your teeth. This is either because they are too worn down from grinding or your bite is so far out of alignment this is necessary to repair it.

This is quite an advanced procedure and would require a dentist with significant training in TMJ Disorders as well as cosmetic dentistry.

Look for a dentist who trained at one of the following:

Dawson Academy
J.D Pankey Institute
The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies

This will take care of their TMJ qualifications. To find out if they’re also a great cosmetic dentist, go to the mynewsmile.com website to see if they’re recommended . They pre-screen cosmetic dentists for both their technical skill and artistry.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Do I Have tmj or tmd?

Posted on January 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m a little confused about which problem I have. I’ve been having problems with severe headaches and pain in my jaw. Someone said they think I have TMJ . I went home to look that up and there seems to be two things. One is called TMJ and one is called TMD. How do I know which one I have?

Carol

Dear Carol,

There’s a good reason you are confused about this. Even though they have two different technical meanings, people (especially patients) use them synonymously.

TMJ refers to the temporomadibular joint. I’ve placed a picture of it above so you can see a close up of it. TMD refers to the disorder of the temporomandibular joint.

Generally, when people say TMJ they mean TMJ disorder (or TMD).

If You Have TMJ Disorder

The symptoms you’ve described above do relate to TMJ Disorder.
There are many possible reasons for developing jaw problems. Your next step would be to see a dentist with expertise in TMJ problems, so he can properly diagnose the cause.

You want a dentist who’ has invested in significant post-doctoral training in TMJ diagnosis and treatment. For instance, Dr. Delaune has done extensive training with the world renown Dawson Academy.

There is not a recognized TMJ Specialty so any general dentist can call themselves a TMJ dentist. That makes it especially important you know that the dentist you’re dealing with is actually qualified.

Treatments vary depending on the cause. It can range from a simple orthotic device up to a full-mouth reconstruction. Good dentists start with the most conservative treatment except for the most rare, devastating cases.

I hope this helps. This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Is Jaw Pain Diet Related?

Posted on February 3, 2017 by writeradmin.

I have pretty severe jaw pain, especially in the mornings. My sister said it’s my diet and I need to eat only whole foods. I switched to a whole foods diet. I’ve been on it a few weeks and haven’t had any relief. Do I need to give it more time? I can’t decide if this is diet related or dental related?

Carla T. – Georgia

Carla,

There are some conditions that are thought to be diet related and while, if you eat something that aggravated your jaw it can cause pain, diet will not cause the type of pain you’re describing.

Because it’s stronger in the morning, and I suspect you probably get morning headaches as well. I’d look into night grinding and TMJ.

See a dentist who’s received significant training in TMJ diagnosis and treatment. It’s not a recognized specialty, so a general dentist will have to put forth specific effort to receive the training. Don’t be shy about asking them where they studied TMJ. We’re not talking about where they studied in dental school. This needs to be post-graduate training. For instance, Dr. Delaune, studied at the Dawson Academy.

If it turns out that you’re grinding your teeth at night, that would explain your jaw pain. A simple night guard should solve the problem.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Duane Delaune.

Tinnitus caused by TMJ?

Posted on March 5, 2014 by smiles4u.

I am looking for an answer to the ear pain/noises/tinnitus that I have been experiencing in my left ear. It is difficult to pinpoint because the sounds and volume are not consistent, but it seems that the clicking gets louder and more bothersome late at night because my muscles tend to tighten up, causing head spasms. I work out regularly and also notice a throbbing or vibrating on the right back side of my neck when I run and it feels like something is not aligned. I recently had an MRI to rule out sinus issues or a tumor, so I think my next step is to see a dentist to determine if TMJ is causing my tinnitus.

Mark in Los Angeles

Mark,
What is unfortunate about TMJ is that the symptoms can vary from person to person and many times other dental conditions can cause the same problems. The symptoms you describe – the tinnitus, as well as the bothersome noises/clicking in your ear, tightening of your muscles and general feeling of something being out of alignment – do sound very much like TMJ.

While diagnosis of TMJ is an important first step, it can be an extensive process and treatment can be quite expensive. That is why it is imperative to find a dentist, like Dr. Delaune, who specializes in TMJ that can study your medical history and perform a thorough examination your face and jaw, including x-rays or other imaging studies and tests.

Do your homework… any dentist can claim they are a TMJ specialist, but they might not have much expertise at all. The only way to receive an accurate diagnosis is to visit a dentist who is trained in TMJ treatment and diagnosis. When you find a potential dentist, ask about his or her credentials or extra training/education in regards to TMJ as well as for testimonials from other patients who have been successfully treated. You will want to keep all of this in mind before spending a lot of money on a dentist who may not even solve your problem.

Read more about TMJ disorder on our website, plus learn about Botox, which is a new treatment for TMJ.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

TMJ issues and bad crowns

Posted on February 13, 2012 by AllSmiles.

Hi. About eight years ago, I had crowns placed on all of my teeth because I grind them terribly. Well, now I’ve worn down the crowns. My jaw hurts and clicks and it’s crooked. The ugly crowns have messed up my gums. I’m not sure that I gained anything with them. – Vickie, Kenner, LA

I was able to find a neuromuscular dentist that recommended an orthotic. The orthotic has made my bite worse, so the crowns are worn out. I know that a prosthodontist can expertly place the crowns, but after some research I’m wondering if I should go to a cosmetic dentist instead, so that my crowns will look natural. What am I sacrificing if I choose a cosmetic dentist?

Vickie – You’re right. A prosthodontist can expertly place the crowns and a cosmetic dentist can make them look natural. But you don’t have to choose between quality and appearance. You can find a dentist with expertise in placing porcelain crowns and who practices the part of cosmetic dentistry. He or she should also have experience in treating the TMJ disorder.

Carefully review the website of a cosmetic dentist. Does the website indicate that he or she places crowns? Do the smile gallery show pictures of natural-looking crowns? Does the dentist have experience in treating the TMJ disorder? Have a consultation with him or her to determine the extent of the dentist’s experience. Ensure that your questions are answered. If you need assistance locating a cosmetic dentist, mynewsmile.com can help.

This blog is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.