Bite still off after 4 adjustments

[medf]

I'm posting this for my wife. Over 4 months ago, she had 9 composite fillings and 1 root canal done all at once under sedation. She was left with one area where the bite felt wrong. The second to the back molar on the left. Both the bottom molar and the one above it. Those two teeth don't come together comfortably when she chews. In addition to the bite feeling wrong, she has pressure and cold sensitivity in those two teeth. She's been avoiding chewing on that side for months because of this.

She had the bite adjusted on those molars 3 times by the first dentist and once more by another dentist and the bite still feels off. We have been told there's no more room for adjustment but how can that be if the bite still feels off? All she wants is for the bite to feel normal again. There was no issue with this before she had the fillings. Can't they just keep grinding it down until it fits together comfortably? Is there some specific type of dental specialist who can figure out this problem? The problem was that she had very deep grooves in her molars before getting these fillings. They then plastered a bunch of filling in her teeth and while it seems OK for the most part, the bite now feels uncomfortable in that one spot. What more can be done?

 

[John Roberts]

Sorry to hear about you wife. They have machine I guess you could call it called a Tech Scan that is used to adjust your bite. Go on you tube and type in Tech Scan and they have a video. Never had it done but it makes total sense. The dentist where I live have never heard of it and it has been out for years. Check it out.

 

[lbrackett]

I'm posting this for my wife. Over 4 months ago, she had 9 composite fillings and 1 root canal done all at once under sedation. She was left with one area where the bite felt wrong. The second to the back molar on the left. Both the bottom molar and the one above it. Those two teeth don't come together comfortably when she chews. In addition to the bite feeling wrong, she has pressure and cold sensitivity in those two teeth. She's been avoiding chewing on that side for months because of this.

She had the bite adjusted on those molars 3 times by the first dentist and once more by another dentist and the bite still feels off. We have been told there's no more room for adjustment but how can that be if the bite still feels off? All she wants is for the bite to feel normal again. There was no issue with this before she had the fillings. Can't they just keep grinding it down until it fits together comfortably? Is there some specific type of dental specialist who can figure out this problem? The problem was that she had very deep grooves in her molars before getting these fillings. They then plastered a bunch of filling in her teeth and while it seems OK for the most part, the bite now feels uncomfortable in that one spot. What more can be done?

Good day - I hope that this message finds your wife feeling much better. I am writing this reply to any and everyone who has had bite adjustments. Two years ago, I went through this process - I don't even recall how many "adjustments" I had and am embarrassed to state how many dentists I saw about it. I even almost spent 5K on a procedure that they provide to people with TMJ. Bottom line: About a year and a half later, I can not tell a difference. This may not be the case for many or even most, but I let me mind get the best of me. It's not that it wasn't different. Obviously, after grinding down so many teeth, there will be some difference, but I was stuck on the idea of it all feeling "like it did," which was not going to happen. Time moved on, and eventually something else took its place, and I haven't looked back since. But, I say all of this to say that "it will be okay." It will. Don't read any more blogs; don't go see any more dentists; don't stare at your smile in the mirror, trying to "see" what is off - just find something else to consume your thoughts, and the discomfort will leave. I promise.

 

[Busybee]

Best to have fillings done one at a time. That way your bite is adjusted to what you already have. Even one filling can make things feel off so 9 will completely change the bite. Once it's lost it's impossible to replace with what you had. The brain is programmed to expect the teeth to meet in a certain place. That's usually the place that the body has come to recognise (the neck, the shoulders, the jaw joint etc). So changing it can make not only the mouth feel odd, but it can affect the entire gait. It can even affect the spine and legs. These are not major changes and eventually you will get used to a slightly different feeling in the neck or shoulders (or you may not even connect it to your teeth). But they are often unnecessary if dental work is carried out slowly in a careful plan.

I've had all sorts, pain in shoulder, neck, even shooting pains in my arms, lower back, face, jaw joint, ringing in the ears, headaches etc. All at different times and as a result of different "fixes" to try to bring the bite back to some sort of balance after it was damaged with an adjustment. There is no machine that can fix it. You should avoid touching it and if you have to have work done do it slowly. A careful approach with a dentist who knows what they are doing can help make the bite more comfortable. But someone drilling more away is just going to cause a different problem.