Should my teeth be doing this?
March 1, 2016 8:29 PM Subscribe
I had a crown that didn't mesh well with surrounding teeth for about two years. The crown has been sanded away to fit better (no sharp pain when I chew), but in the meantime I realized that my teeth and bite have shifted quite noticeably during this time. Dentist says it's not a cause for concern, but I'm concerned. Should I be?
The back story is here; basically, I had a crown on a molar that was far too bulky and impeded my chewing on that side of my mouth for about two years. During that time I repeatedly went back to the dentist who gave me that crown, but they were never able to adjust it so that I could chew without occasional sharp pain. Finally, I went to a new dentist who shaved a small portion of the crown off, and I can chew without (sharp) pain.
However, in the last year or so my front bottom teeth have gotten extremely crowded and crooked, and I can feel them shift back and forth slightly when I chew. The top front teeth on the right side of my face, near the crown but not next to it, also shift while chewing. It's faint, but unsettling. I've also noticed much more gum recession in these areas than I had a year ago. And the molars surrounding my crown have shifted noticeably outward and upward relative to the other side of my mouth so that my bite, when viewed with my mouth wide open, is clearly asymmetrical.
I went back to the new dentist and shared my concerns. She said the shifting is a normal thing that happens when we age and mentioned I could use a retainer. She said it's absolutely unrelated to the problems I was having with the crown.
This...surprises me. I understand that teeth shift forward as we age, but does it happen in the course of a single year like this? And should chewing feel this strange as a result?
Other details, in case they matter: I have periodontal disease and gum recession that will probably need grafts, despite all my efforts. I'm pretty religious about flossing once a day and use an Oral B electric toothbrush. I get my teeth cleaned twice a year. I eat a lot of apples and vegetables and other chewy things. I'm 40ish.
Is this worth getting a third opinion? Google is not helpful on this topic.
The back story is here; basically, I had a crown on a molar that was far too bulky and impeded my chewing on that side of my mouth for about two years. During that time I repeatedly went back to the dentist who gave me that crown, but they were never able to adjust it so that I could chew without occasional sharp pain. Finally, I went to a new dentist who shaved a small portion of the crown off, and I can chew without (sharp) pain.
However, in the last year or so my front bottom teeth have gotten extremely crowded and crooked, and I can feel them shift back and forth slightly when I chew. The top front teeth on the right side of my face, near the crown but not next to it, also shift while chewing. It's faint, but unsettling. I've also noticed much more gum recession in these areas than I had a year ago. And the molars surrounding my crown have shifted noticeably outward and upward relative to the other side of my mouth so that my bite, when viewed with my mouth wide open, is clearly asymmetrical.
I went back to the new dentist and shared my concerns. She said the shifting is a normal thing that happens when we age and mentioned I could use a retainer. She said it's absolutely unrelated to the problems I was having with the crown.
This...surprises me. I understand that teeth shift forward as we age, but does it happen in the course of a single year like this? And should chewing feel this strange as a result?
Other details, in case they matter: I have periodontal disease and gum recession that will probably need grafts, despite all my efforts. I'm pretty religious about flossing once a day and use an Oral B electric toothbrush. I get my teeth cleaned twice a year. I eat a lot of apples and vegetables and other chewy things. I'm 40ish.
Is this worth getting a third opinion? Google is not helpful on this topic.
It is worth a third opinion. The peace of mind it will give you is worth it, even if current information is confirmed. There are absolutely some dentists who are better than others (as you've clearly discovered with the crown), and even just some who are better at explaining things better than others. My personal experience with crowns (I have 8) is that they do *always* require some adjustment after placement, but that they only would cause crowding among the other teeth if the crown was made wider than the tooth it replaced (although taller does not mean wider necessarily - they usually are made high and ground down). Even tiny differences in spacing cause teeth to shift. (This is more obvious when you have a pulled tooth that isn't replaced - sleeping with a retainer has kept my teeth from shifting much with a gap.) I have needed one crown to be slimmed down width-wise, and there was a noticeable release of pressure after. But, no, crown issues shouldn't make your teeth loose or wiggly - that's probably the gum disease. Gums do recede with age, so alarm bells don't sound over your dentist saying that. Still, your peace of mind is important enough to warrant a third opinion.
I have a crazy suggestion, and I apologize for getting on a soapbox: I too was religious about oral hygiene, despite that, after years of landing in the dentist chair every third month (I've had 8 root canals...and that's the tip of the iceberg), about 2 years ago I drastically reduced my carbohydrate intake (for other reasons.) I still see my dentist for regular 6 month cleanings and he loudly states amazement every visit about how dramatically and visibly more healthy my mouth is now. Because carbs (especially simple ones, but including things like apples) start to digest while still in the mouth, they provide significantly more material for bacteria and cavities to feed on. Without those carbs in your mouth, your mouth may be healthier. Consider some diet changes. Not saying necessarily to go low carb, but eat your carb things in one go then rinse and don't snack through the day on them. Even cutting out drinking juices or adding sugar or honey in coffee/tea makes a big difference to oral health.
posted by AliceBlue at 6:32 AM on March 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
I have a crazy suggestion, and I apologize for getting on a soapbox: I too was religious about oral hygiene, despite that, after years of landing in the dentist chair every third month (I've had 8 root canals...and that's the tip of the iceberg), about 2 years ago I drastically reduced my carbohydrate intake (for other reasons.) I still see my dentist for regular 6 month cleanings and he loudly states amazement every visit about how dramatically and visibly more healthy my mouth is now. Because carbs (especially simple ones, but including things like apples) start to digest while still in the mouth, they provide significantly more material for bacteria and cavities to feed on. Without those carbs in your mouth, your mouth may be healthier. Consider some diet changes. Not saying necessarily to go low carb, but eat your carb things in one go then rinse and don't snack through the day on them. Even cutting out drinking juices or adding sugar or honey in coffee/tea makes a big difference to oral health.
posted by AliceBlue at 6:32 AM on March 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
As we age we might lose bone calcium, one place that readily gives it up is the jaw. Get a good calcium supplement. I got a crown at 24 years old, there was a good 1/8 th inch between it and my front lower four teeth, now that gap is closed tight. Our teeth are more loosely set in our gums than you might think. Brushing with mouthwash and a soft toothbrush, once a day is good for gingivitis. Doing this at night, before bed chases out gum bacteria and lets everything heal in the night. If you have gum problems, always use a soft tothbrush.
posted by Oyéah at 7:33 AM on March 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 7:33 AM on March 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'd get a third opinion. It took a long time to find the right dentist but when I did it made all the difference. I also had some loosening of the teeth but with cleanings bumped up to every 3 months and adjustment of my bite by shaving down a couple of my front bottom teeth it is gone now.
posted by Requiax at 5:12 PM on March 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Requiax at 5:12 PM on March 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
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It seems likely to me, not having looked at your mouth and having zero dental expertise, but having teeth of my own, that actually what happened is that your old bite with the bad crown meant most of your teeth weren't making contact with other teeth at all most of the time. You didn't feel them shifting around because they weren't actually taking any load or friction when you bit things. Probably a handful of teeth were getting really worn. Now that your crown is shaved, your bite impacts more teeth. It stands to reason that this might cause some movement. You were chewing around a tricky crown for two years and now you're using different teeth to chew.
It sounds like you don't trust this dentist that much, in which case you may as well get another opinion. But I doubt a dentist who doesn't know your mouth and never saw it before all this work was done would be willing to make any guess about what caused what in there. Teeth are just a mess for a lot of us.
posted by town of cats at 11:22 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]