teeth grinding Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

Did I Make a Mistake Getting Porcelain Veneers?

Posted on August 15, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’m wondering if I made a mistake getting porcelain veneers. My teeth have been getting shorter and shorter recently and it was really beginning to bug me. My dentist suggested I get porcelain veneers. They were expensive but my dentist said they could make my teeth longer. I was excited about that. I went forward. I wasn’t crazy about how they turned out. While they are longer, they look a bit boxy. Plus, two of them have popped off. My dentist always puts them back on for free, but it does take time off work. I’m wondering if this was a mistake. I kept thinking for that much money they’d be beautiful, not just longer. Did I have unrealistic expectations?

Melanie

Dear Melanie,

Porcelain veneers are a great way to remake your smile. I think the mistake is simply allowing your family dentist to do it instead of an expert cosmetic dentist. I have another concern aside from your dentist’s cosmetic skill. You mentioned your teeth have been getting shorter. That combined with your veneers popping off, makes me think you’ve been grinding your teeth at night. Your dentist should have recognized these signs.

It’s important this is dealt with or your teeth will continue to grind down until they’re nubs. Then, you’ll be forced to get a mouth full of porcelain crowns in order to chew. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was concerned about your dentist not bringing this up.

There is a simple solution. You just need to wear a night guard and then it will protect your teeth and your porcelain veneers from being damaged any further.

Getting Gorgeous Porcelain Veneers

Getting a smile makeover is a bit like commissioning an artist to do your portrait. You want to research the artist carefully. They need to have post-graduate training. But, like any art, there also has to be some natural skill there. Your dentist needs an artistic eye. So, how is a patient to research all of that? Well, you could check their credentials, research their smile gallery, check their reviews, etc.

Fortunately, the mynewsmile.com website does all of that for you. If you go to their site and click on “Find a cosmetic dentist”, you simply input your zip code along with how far you’re willing to travel to get a beautiful smile and they’ll list all the expert cosmetic dentists within that range.

Best of Luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Can My Dentist Treat My TMJ?

Posted on July 31, 2018 by writeradmin.

I was talking to my dentist about some jaw pain. He asked me a few questions and said he thinks I have TMJ disorder. We scheduled a follow-up appointment to run some additional tests and discuss treatment. After I got home I started wondering if instead of just going to my general dentist about this I should schedule an appointment with a TMJ Dentist. What do you think? Is it safe to stay with my dentist for this?

Miranda W.

Dear Miranda,

Your doubts are based on a common misunderstanding about TMJ. There isn’t really such a thing as a TMJ Dentist. By that I mean there isn’t a recognized TMJ specialty with the American Dental Association (ADA). All TMJ dentists are just general dentists. That being said, it doesn’t mean every general dentist is qualified to treat TMJ. It does require specialized training. So how do you know if your particular dentist has what it takes?

The first thing I’d do is check their website. If they have a TMJ page, check to see if they list any specific training. If they don’t have a page, check their bio. They should list some respected institute where they did post-doctoral studies in TMJ diagnosis and treatment. For instance, Dr. Delaune trained at the esteemed Dawson Academy. Other respected institutes would be among the following:

The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI)
The Kois Center
The Pankey Institute
Spear Institute

There are others, but these are among the best.

Warning Signs about TMJ Dentist

One thing to be aware of is aggressiveness in treatment. Dentists with expertise in TMJ will start with the least invasive treatment options first. If your dentist goes straight to suggesting a full mouth reconstruction, I’d quickly get a second opinion. Those are only necessary in severe cases and other solutions are tried first.

Often jaw pain can be caused by teeth grinding or clenching. Patients may not even recognize they’re doing it, especially if it only occurs while they’re sleeping. In that case, wearing a simple custom-fitted night guard is all you need to solve the problem.

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

Is there an over-the-counter fix for TMJ?

Posted on May 4, 2016 by smiles4u.

My mom and dad have both recently suffered some major medical issues that have caused a lot of stress both physically and financially for our family. There’s just not a lot of extra money right now. I have TMJ and all the stress has caused a flare-up and I literally can’t open my mouth. My jaw has been locked for several weeks. I’m in so much pain! I’ve seen those mouth appliances you can buy at the drug store for about $20. Would one of them help? — Sasha

Dear Sasha,
Sorry to hear that you’re going through so much right now. Hopefully things will get better from here on out. As for the TMJ, there are a couple of things you can try at home to help with the inflammation:

Alternate between heat and ice packs (for about 10 minutes at a time) on your jaw joints
Take 800mg of Ibuprofen three times a day

If the dentist is simply out of the question right now, try the store-bought mouth guard as it will be better than doing nothing. If you’re grinding your teeth a lot, just be careful and check that you’re not wearing it through. Hopefully, though, it will help protect your teeth for now. They come in small, medium, large or one-size-fits-all, but regardless of what you buy, keep in mind that it won’t be a perfect fit since it’s not custom made.

For moderate to severe temporomandibular joint dysfunction like you are experiencing, a custom night guard made by your dentist is really the best way to go. If you have dental insurance they may cover all or even a portion of the cost. Make a call and find out. Another option would be to see if your dentist offers CareCredit. It’s a no-interest medical card you can apply for if you don’t have insurance, but have adequate credit. Check into both of these options since your TMJ is fairly severe – it will be worth it in the end if you can get a custom-fit appliance and get this flare-up under control.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

Will dentist fix my cracked veneer?

Posted on November 26, 2015 by smiles4u.

I grind my teeth at night, but I was happy to find out that I could still be a candidate for porcelain veneers. I just got them done a couple months ago and I have been wearing a night guard. Last night, I was so exhausted that I feel asleep and didn’t get the night guard put in. I woke up because I noticed something in my mouth – it was a piece of one of my veneers that broke off! Do you think my dentist will replace it for free since I’ve had the veneers for such a short time? — Josh

Josh,
This is a tough one. While I’m sure you didn’t intend to fall asleep without your night guard, things happen and whether or not your dentist will fix it is completely up to him. If he prescribed the night guard and told you to be sure to always wear it, he really has no obligation to you.

Maybe he’ll offer to replace it this time if you cover the laboratory charge. You can be sure that it will be full price if it happens again. However, it’s best to have him look at it because there’s also a chance that he could repair it. If it split cleanly into two pieces that fit back together, he could re-bonded it to your tooth and the crack will be nearly invisible.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

Is tooth pain caused from grinding my teeth or something else?

Posted on February 27, 2015 by smiles4u.

I’m a teeth grinder at night. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember, but up until now everything has been fine with my teeth (at my check-up and cleaning several months ago there were no issues). But something has changed in the last month or so and I am noticing a dull pain (almost like a pulling sensation) in my lower back teeth. It doesn’t last for long periods of time, but it comes and goes on both sides. I thought maybe it could be a cavity, but I’ve never had one before so don’t know what kind of pain is associated with them. I am also concerned that it could it be related to grinding and clenching my teeth? What should I do? — Marissa

Marissa,
If you grind your teeth, everything is not fine. It’s hard to say what exactly is causing this pain you are experiencing without seeing x-rays or examining your mouth. What is concerning is it sounds like your recent check-up and examination with your dentist may not have been very thorough. Unfortunately, there are many dentists who are just looking for the obvious issues like cavities, fillings, etc. There are other important things they should be looking for during this examination such as TMJ symptoms or periodontal disease.

As for the pain you are experiencing, it does not seem consistent with a cavity. It could be from gum disease or a result of your teeth grinding. But to be sure, you need to get a proper diagnosis. If it’s grinding, you could get a night guard. If it’s something more serious, you need to start treatment right away. A second opinion from someone other than your regular dentist might be in order.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.