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Question:
I am a senior and my teeth were worn down with lots of old fillings and crowns. The dentist said he could redo all 28 teeth with porcelain veneers. I agreed, now I'm on my 3rd temporaries as the first 2 hurt which he said I am just very sensitive, which I am not.
I have lost faith in my dentist and he has offered my money back. Then he told me how difficult it would be for me to find another dentist to take over. He does this work in a special way and no one else would want to complete it. I am concerned that I am getting decay of my teeth under these temporaries. He said it would take 6 months. I have worn these 2-1/2 months.
I also wonder if the first 2 temps pressed on my front teeth relocating them back further. It hurts when I eat nuts, and I cannot chew meat enough to swallow it. He said it is because the temps are acryllic, the permanents will not be that way. He also did the jaw relocator and now my jaw doesn't crack, but my neck hurts. The current temporaries are not hurting as far as the pressing goes.
I wonder if since he has had so much problem getting the temps right, what will happen if the permanents are not right? What do you think of all this?
...Visitor from CA
Answer:
I can appreciate your concern; however, without physically examining you, I can not give you a comprehensive answer. I will do my best to give you some guidance.
Let me start with the sensitivity issue. Anytime your teeth are prepared either for a cavity, crown, or a veneer, the tooth is undergoing trauma. If adequate water is being used and the tooth is not over heated this should not be a problem. A healthy tooth will recover. Once the enamel is removed from the tooth, the underlying dentin is exposed. The dentin is composed of tubes that radiate our from the center of the tooth where the pulp is located. If the dentin is not sealed, or protected you could experience sensitivity. Sometimes, having a poorly fitting temporary that is not cemented well could cause sensitivity. It would be a good idea to use a desensitizing solution on the teeth before seating the temporaries or the permanent veneers. since you are not experiencing sensitvity now, I will assume that is not an issue now. I would, however, recommend that you get on a Sodium Fluoride rinse to prevent any decay and reduce any future sensitivity. I place my patients on Prevident fluoride rinse.
Now as far as your dentist's approach to reconstructing your teeth, you can find a lot of different opinions. I would concentrate on first completing the lower arch before completing the upper arch. When you build a house you start from the ground up. Same with the mouth. If you like the way the lower veneers look and feel, then move on to the top. Make sure you look at the veneers when they are tried in. At that point if you don't like something it can be sent back to the lab or you can call it quits and cut your losses. Once the veneers are bonded, it's more difficult to do something.
You say that he repositioned your jaw. That may have been appropriate. My question would be, how does your bite feel?. Do your jaw muscles feel tight? Are you clenching your teeth? Do you feel that your lower jaw has no freedom of movement? If you say yes to any of these, then the jaw relation could be off.
I don't agree with the statement that he does it a certain way and it would be difficult to find another dentist. Unless you are living in a sparsely populated area, you could always find a good dentist to take over. It might not be easy to continue where he left off but it could be done. Another dentist might use a different technique.
The best advice I can give you at this point is to get a second or even third opinion. Let another dentist clinically evaluate the situation and give you some quidance.
Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist
Mitchell Pohl, DDS
2900 N. Military Trail, Suite 105
Boca Raton Florida FL 33431
(561) 368-3440
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