tmj dentist Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

Is Grinding my Teeth No Big Deal?

Posted on June 25, 2020 by writeradmin.

I mentioned to my dentist that my jaw hurts and I realized that sometimes I clench and grind my jaw. He said it is no big deal and not to worry about it, but my jaw hurts. Is there anything I can do about it? It seems like a big deal from where I’m sitting.

Tracy

Dear Tracy,

Grinding your teeth IS a big deal.

The first thing I’m going to say is you need to get a different dentist. This is not only a big deal, it is a HUGE deal. First, the pain you are experiencing alone is enough to do something about it. But, in addition, you are slowly grinding down your teeth. Eventually, you will wear them down to nubs. If that happens, the procedure to deal with that is a full mouth reconstruction. That requires getting a dental crown on every tooth. While proactive treatment will only bring in a couple of hundred dollars. A full-mouth reconstruction is a cost of $30, 000 or more. Plus, you are at a much greater risk to develop TMJ disorder.

There are a few things that can be done to help this. First, you’ll want to get out of pain. Believe it or not, some Botox can help with this, as well as any migraines you may be experiencing as a result.

The next thing you’ll want to do is protect your teeth. While it is easy enough to notice when you’re grinding your teeth during the day. While you’re sleeping is when most of this likely occurs. I suggest you have a nightguard made. This will protect your teeth from grinding and clenching while you sleep.

However, I don’t think your dentist is the best one to handle this. I’d like you to see a dentist with TMJ training. They can help get to the root cause of all this and solve the source of the problem.

This isn’t something that is taught in general dental school, so you’ll want a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training. For instance, Dr. Delaune did advanced training in TMJ Disorder through the well-respected Dawson Academy.

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

Do I Need a TMJ Specialist?

Posted on November 3, 2018 by writeradmin.

I told my dentist about a pain in my jaw. He decided I have TMJ and keeps giving me Botox injections. While the injections help, I don’t want to need them for the rest of my life. If I went to a TMJ Specialist would there be a permanent solution?

Gina

Dear Gina,

TMJ Disorder can be very complex. Often, there’s more than one factor. If all your dentist is doing is the Botox injections without looking for what could be causing it, then yes, you’ll want to see someone else. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a TMJ Specialist as far as a recognized specialty goes. But, there are some things to look for when choosing a dentist to treat your TMJ.

You’ll want a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ Disorder. Some of the more reputable institutions are:

The Dawson Academy
The Seattle Institute
The Kois Center
Pankey Center
Las Vegas Institute (LVI)

Dentists who’ve studied with one of these institutions will be a practitioner who can help find the root cause or causes of your particular TMJ problems.

A couple of Causes of TMJ

One leading cause of TMJ problems is teeth grinding or clenching. Over time, this not only does damage to the hinge joint, but it is also devastating to your teeth. It can cause them to crack or break, requiring dental crowns. It can even cause them to come loose.

The grinding motion wears them down to nubs and could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars for a full-mouth reconstruction. To make matters worse, if you don’t regularly see a dentist you may never know you’re even doing it until it is too late. That’s because most people do it in their sleep.

Fortunately, for most patients, when caught early, there’s a simple fix. A night guard can protect your teeth. It fits like a custom made comfortable mouth guard and places a barrier between your teeth.

Another cause is malalignment of the teeth. If your bite is off, it can throw off your jaw joint leading to serious TMJ problems, including lockjaw. Sometimes, it is just a matter of simple orthodontics, other times it’s more serious.

A good dentist will always start with the least invasive treatment before moving onto other more drastic measures.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by New Orleans 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.