It is not commonly recognized that an overbite or even misaligned bite not only can cause worn teeth, but also TMJ pain. TMJ symptoms can range from headaches, jaw pain, joint noise, and even ringing of the ears and snoring. Briefly, this can occur as the muscles are strained and the jaw joints can be compressed backwards or to one side. This misalignment can cause damage much like a tire out of alignment. This also leads to compromised cosmetic dentistry results and aging or sagging jaws. Taking a different approach offers many benefits.
After: Overbite and TMJ corrected: creates a non-surgical facelift too
Before: overbite, pain and worn teeth
In this case, the upper teeth, especially the uppers, were worn down to the second layer of tooth structure from the bad bite. She had porcelain veneers years ago, however, this did not stop or correct her real problems. To correct this, Dr. Konig’s bite management protocols were used to find the correct physiologic bite first and ensure the patient was comfortable and the symptoms resolved, prior to rebuilding the teeth to the corrected bite.
Approaching the situation in this manner allowed for:
- Improved facial profile
- Improved lower 1/3 of the face, a Non-surgical Facelift
- Bite Correction
- Elimination of TMJ symptoms and pain
- Improved facial symmetry
- Minimal grinding on teeth
- Create a beautiful and stable smile
Interestingly, since the misaligned bite, overtime, wore down her teeth, when corrected allowed for the teeth to be built back up as opposed to grinding the teeth down. This is much more conservative for the patient. Too many times, doctors grind the teeth down to the existing bite and restore the teeth to the bad bite, this only exacerbates the problems.
In overview, sometimes it is important to look at the whole picture and just the front teeth when considering porcelain veneers.
If you have question regarding Houston TMJ treatment or Houston Porcelain Veneers, please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF, 713-668-2289.
