Your painful bite is causing you TMJ, but why aren’t you getting it repaired? We understand that you assume bite repair is complicated because it sometimes requires full mouth reconstruction. And, it’s true, it can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a rundown on some of the possible scenarios we might encounter.
Bite Splint Only
For some people, the only treatment required to get your bite right is a bite splint. A bite splint is an oral appliance that you wear in your mouth to hold your jaw in the proper position. It can be used as a diagnostic tool, but for many people it can also be the best treatment choice.
It’s common for people who had their jaw knocked out of place by a blow, car accident, or other circumstance, and have lingering jaw problems. They may need to wear the bite splint for a short time, then they will be completely recovered.
Other people may wear their bite splint indefinitely, and may eventually decide to have a more complicated bite repair performed.
Fix Old Restorations
Other times, your bite problems may stem from poorly fitted restorations. In this case, all that is required to fix your bite is to fix the fit on these out-of-place restorations. We will identify the problem-causing restorations and remove them. Then we will replace the restorations with ones that are properly fitted. While we’re at it, we’ll make sure your new restorations are even more attractive than the old ones.
Note that the problem-causing restorations aren’t always new. Sometimes the restorations may have triggered a compensatory mechanism that takes time to show symptoms.
Build up Worn Teeth
A slightly more complicated case is when your teeth have been worn down badly over the years, and require building up to make sure they are capable of sustaining a healthy, functional bite. If this is your problem, we will build your bite back up, using dental crowns, onlays, and other restorations. The goal is to restore your bite to the position it had when you were younger and your bite healthier.
We will typically only perform this level of reconstruction if we believe we have firmly established the proper position of your bite, which is typically accomplished with a bite splint. Once we have used the bite splint to decide the proper configuration of your bite, you can either keep wearing the splint or decide on reconstruction.
Replace Lost Teeth
If you have lost one or more teeth, your bite is going to suffer. To build your bite back up, we have to replace your missing teeth in a manner as close as possible to their natural character, which means dental implants.
And, of course, it’s important to make sure you’re replicating the optimal bite as much as possible. Restoring the bite is not typically a consideration when most dentists make dentures, and that means that many denture wearers have a bite that isn’t only limited in function, it’s painful.
Fountain of Youth Denture ® are designed to completely restore your bite. You’ll enjoy a comfortable jaw position and will see headaches and other TMJ symptoms diminished. And that’s not all: with Fountain of Youth Denture ®, you will enjoy a restored facial appearance as well as your rebuilt bite.
If you are experiencing the effects of an imbalanced bite, don’t let worry keep you from getting the bite reconstruction you need. Instead, talk to a Savannah TMJ dentist to determine whether your procedure will be simple or complex. Please call (912) 234-8282 today for an appointment at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
