I need some advice. My smile has changed quite a bit. I don’t know if it has to do with my lips, teeth, or jaws, but in order to see my upper teeth when I smile, I have to force the smile to be higher than normal. It’s uncomfortable to smile that way. When my mouth is at rest, you can’t see the upper teeth at all. I do wear a mouthguard at night, which does help with both giving the appearance of visible teeth as well as relieving some of the aches I feel in my jaw. My dentist is suggesting I get porcelain veneers. Will that be the best option for my situation?
Lana
Dear Lana,
TMJ Disorder Can Come From a Mixture of Sources
Bear in mind that I have not examined you. That being said, it sounds like you have worn your teeth down. This can happen because of teeth grinding. Your mouthguard will help prevent further damage to your teeth but will not repair any damage already done. Worn down teeth can cause your jaw to overclose, which is likely leading to the aches you are feeling. This is a symptom of TMJ Disorder.
I am concerned that your dentist is suggesting you get porcelain veneers as the solution to this. While it could help with the appearance of your smile, depending on the artistic skill of your dentist, it will not deal with the root of the problem, which does need to be dealt with. You need a dentist who has training in TMJ Disorder. I don’t think your dentist does if he is suggesting porcelain veneers.
Look for a dentist who has trained in one of the following post-doctoral institutions:
- The Pankey Institute in Florida
- The Dawson Academy, also in Florida
- The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
Depending on the extent of damage you are dealing with, you may need a full mouth reconstruction, which boils down to placing dental crowns on almost all your teeth. The training I mentioned will be extremely important in these types of cases.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.