I am in the middle of a full-mouth reconstruction, and things are not going well. It’s a bit of a mixed bag with two dental implants and the rest are crowns and bridges. I am a bit worried, because the first round went well and I thought I would be good to go. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Once the permanent ones were bonded on things went really wonka-donk. The teeth are not meeting together the way I had always considered normal. I thought at first maybe it felt different because I was used to it the wrong way. But, now I’m having trouble chewing both because of the way the teeth are meeting (some of them don’t even touch) and the fact that my jaw isn’t moving properly. I don’t think this is because it is unfamiliar to me. Do you have any advice? I’m in quite a bit of pain.
Sandy
Dear Sandy,
Bear in mind that I have not examined you. However, if I am getting an accurate understanding of your description, there is a real problem here. First, for those who are not aware of what a full-mouth reconstruction is, it is when a dentist uses crowns, in some form, on every tooth. In this case, there is a mixture of dental implants, along with crowns and bridges.
Doing a full-mouth reconstruction is a very advanced procedure which very few dentists are actually qualified to do. It takes significant post-doctoral training. Based on your description, the way this was done is a serious problem and it sounds like it has completely thrown off your bite and you are now dealing with both poor occlusion of your teeth as well as TMJ Disorder. If that is the case it needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
One thing that puzzles me is the fact that you said the temporary placements were fine. Your permanent crowns and bridges should have been modeled after your temporaries. Also, your dentist should have used a temporary try-in paste and made sure everything still lined up properly. It does not sound like he did that.
I want you to get a second opinion by a dentist with significant TMJ training. Look for someone who has post-doctoral training in TMJ Disorder. Look for training at one of the following institutions, which are known for their great TMJ instruction:
- The Dawson Academy
- The Pankey Institute
- The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies
One word of advice. When you do get your second opinion, make sure it is a blind appointment. That means that you do not tell your dentist who did your full-mouth reconstruction. If they ask, just tell them you want an unbiased opinion and would prefer he or she gave their thoughts without knowing who the dentist is.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.