A Disastrous Full-Mouth Reconstruction

Posted by writeradmin

I am writing to get some advice. I got a full mouth reconstruction and things are not going well. It is a mixture of dental crowns and two dental implants. When the temporary crowns came in things did not feel right. I mentioned that to my dentist but he said that it would not be an issue with the permanent ones because they are just trying things on for now. This did not turn out to be the case. The permanent ones were just as bad. I told them that my jaw hurt and some of my teeth were no longer able to touch. They agreed to see me again and ground down some of the crowns. That only made things worse and now I’m having trouble moving my jaw from side to side. I was not getting anywhere with my dentist so I decided to get a second opinion. Unfortunately, that dentist seemed more interested in preserving the reputation of my dentist. I can only assume they are friends because he kept saying what a great guy he was. I don’t know what to do because I am in agony and can barely eat.

Devon

Dear Devon,

First, I don’t think you’re with the best dentist. There is no way he should have thought that the permanent ones would magically be better than the temporary ones. Those have to fit perfectly first because the permanent ones are modeled from them. The problems you described do need to be taken care of. The pain you are having as well as the inability to move your jaw from side to side tell me you are now struggling from TMJ Disorder. Whether you already had it and the way your dentist handled your procedure exacerbated it or if he caused it is unclear.

Doing a full mouth reconstruction, which includes placing dental crowns on all of your teeth, is one of the most advanced procedures that are done in the dental field. It takes a significant amount of post doctoral training and a deep understanding of the mechanics of how your teeth come together, known as occlusion. In your place, I would see someone with extensive TMJ training and have them examine you. They may be able to help you secure a refund. Then you can get this redone and get you out of pain. Two great TMJ training centers are Dawson Academy and the Pankey Institute. Look for someone who has gone to one of those institutions.

However, when you go to get a second opinion, it needs to be done a certain way. As you learned, the dental world is a small one and most dentists are familiar with one another. When you do go to get that second opinion, you need to approach it by asking for a blind second opinion. What I mean by that is you don’t tell the second opinion dentist who the original dentist is. Just ask him or her to look at your dental work and get his unbiased opinion on the work. If he doesn’t know who the dentist is, then he won’t feel guilty for saying the truth.

This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.