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Duluth, GA 30097

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Fixing a Broken Lower Front Tooth

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I fell during a track meet and broke part of my lower front tooth. It’s a small chip, but it is a bit ragged and hurts my lip. My dentist tried repairing it but the bonding (what I think they called it) just keeps falling off. My mother doesn’t think there is anything else they can do. I’m hoping there is some new medicine or technology that can just help the tooth regrow. Do you know of any new things?

Amaya

Dear Amaya,

Images before and after a dental bonding repair.

The problem you are facing is that the edges of the bottom teeth hit the upper incisal edges every time you close your mouth. While a bonding repair is the correct repair for a chipped tooth it requires the dentist to know about occlusion. This takes post-doctoral training and not many dentists invest in this training.

This can be repaired with either composite bonding or with porcelain veneers. The problem you are up against is that you need an expert cosmetic dentist to do the work. When done right, it will not fall off and your mother will not have to keep taking you back and forth to the dentist to get it placed back on.

If you can, either you or your mother should look for a dentist who has studied at one of these schools:

  • The Dawson Academy
  • The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Pankey Institute

There are others, but these are three great ones that have special training in both TMJ Disorder and occlusion. Then, you’ll need to take the additional step of looking at their smile gallery to see what type of cosmetic work they do. Look at both bonding and porcelain veneer cases. You’ll want them to be something you find beautiful.

I hope this helps you.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Full Mouth Reconstruction for TMJ Disorder

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My jaw hurts all the time. Sometimes, I just sip soup because I don’t want to chew. Between that and my constant migraines, I do not feel I am a functioning adult. I spoke to my dentist about it and he said it sounds like I have TMJ Disorder. He’d like to do a full mouth reconstruction. My teeth are healthy, so I am a little hesitant to do this. He said it would mean putting a crown on each of my teeth. If that is the only way to get out of pain, I am willing. I just want to make sure.

Percy

Dear Percy,

Woman holding her jaw from TMJ pain

TMJ Disorder can be quite painful and it does sound like you have quite a few of the symptoms. However, jumping straight to a full mouth reconstruction seems a bit over the top to me. There are less invasive procedures that I would recommend you try first. The exception would be if your case is quite severe and it is obvious that this is the treatment you need.

If that is the case or if you try the less invasive procedures do not work then you want to find the right dentist to do a full mouth reconstruction. This is a very advanced procedure. Very advanced. If it is not done correctly, then you can end up in even a worse situation you are in now. While there is not a TMJ specialty, you do want a TMJ Dentist. What I mean by that is someone with post-doctoral training in treating TMJ Disorder.

Who Is The Best Dentist for a Full-Mouth Reconstruction

This is not a procedure that is adequately taught in dental school. In order to have it done well, you need a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training in these type of procedural skills.

Some schools to look for a dentist to have received his training in this area are:

  • The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Pankey Institute
  • Dawson Academy

The best dentists work hard on their skills. They do not rest on their degree and just go through the motions with what they’ve learned in dental school. You want someone who is consistently working on their skillset.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

A Collapsed Bite

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I wonder if you can advise me. I am very self conscious about my smile. When my mouth is at rest, but not completely closed, there is just a black cavern. You cannot see my teeth at all. My jaw also hurts from years of grinding my teeth, which I just found out recently was an issue. My dentist made a night guard for me to wear at night. When I wear that, my jaw hurts less and it gives the slight appearance of my teeth being visible. This makes me think I need to add something to my teeth to make them “show up”, plus it may help with the jaw pain. I asked my dentist about it and he suggested porcelain veneers. Before I make such a big investment, I want to make sure it is the right choice. Have you seen patients in my situation? If so, what worked for them?

Caroline

Dear Caroline,

woman holding her jaw in pain

I am glad that you wrote. I think I know what has happened here and if it is not done right it can completely mess up your bite and leave you in a lifetime of pain. As for porcelain veneers, while if you see an excellent cosmetic dentist it would help with the appearance related issues, it would not solve the root of your problem or the jaw pain, which is like TMJ Disorder as the result of the grinding.

Based on what you have described, it sounds like your teeth grinding has led to a collapsed bite. I wish a dentist would have intervened sooner and protected you from this. However, that is water under the bridge and you need a solution. When your teeth are that ground down, the only real solution is a full mouth reconstruction. This is done by crowning the ground down teeth in order to get your bite in proper alignment and occlusion. However, this is one of the most advanced procedures in dentistry and has to be done very carefully.

A dentist would have to do this starting with provisionals to make sure everything lines up perfectly. It takes years of post-doctoral study to be able to do this well. Look at Dr. Marion’s bio to get an idea of the type of training a dentist would need to work on your case.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.