I’m in the middle of a battle with my ex-dentist. I needed two crowns done, but he did a terrible job. In fact, the crowns are “higher” than all my other teeth and hit the opposite arch before any other teeth. At first it was just annoying and mildly painful, but now I’m having pretty serious jaw and head pain. Could his incompetent work be causing me to develop TMJ?
Tatiana R. – LIttle Rock, AR
Tatiana,
Without examing you, I couldn’t give a definitive answer. However, poorly fitting crowns can be an impetus to TMJ. Your teeth need to come together properly.
I’m assuming you’ve gotten a second opinion from another dentist. Sometimes pressure from one’s peers works wonders in getting an errant dentist to cooperate.
Don’t put off getting this taken care of. Your second dentist can always replace the crowns while working with you to get your dentist to refund your money from the original procedure.
Often, the sooner you treat the cause of TMJ, the simpler the solution (and lower the cost).
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.