I have TMJ. My dentist said it’s because I don’t wear a nightguard and I grind my teeth. It was annoying, but livable. Then I had to get a dental crown. Something seemed off on how it fit because I always his that “tooth” first. It caused a lot of pain and now I feel like my jaw pains has gotten worse too. Can that be from the crown?
Amanda E. – Boston
Amanda,
Yes, it is likely that the crown is aggrevating the problem. In fact, an improper bite can actually cause TMJ. It takes a good deal of training to understand the anatomy and mechanics of a proper bite.
Not all dentists have the training needed to do that properly. Often those dentists just adjust and adjust the crown until the patient, out of weariness of returning, says it’s fine and just deals with it. Other times they ground down the crown until it falls beneath the rest of the bite. Neither of these are a good solution.
My suggestion is to go to a dentist familiar with TMJ and neuromuscular dentistry and have him look at your crown. I would also highly suggest you get a mouthguard. Teeth grinding can cause severe problems later on in your bite.
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