Can you get bone loss from a misaligned jaw? (teeth, implant, pain)
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Hello All - I was hoping that someone who knows about dentistry or even a dentist might be able to answer a question for me.
After some research, I found a new dentist recently as i was looking for someone closer to home. I've been going to my last dentist about 10 years but he doesn't take any insurance now so I have to pay up front for everything. I figured it's time to move on at this point.
My old dentist did a tooth extraction and bone graft for me in Sept 2023 and that cost over 3,000!!!!
Anyway, I got prices at the new dentist and did a compare and he came in less and had great reviews.
When I got there, I mentioned to the intake person that i have vertigo and she immediately called another staff member in, who then started talking to me about Invisalign and how it can cure vertigo. Dentist came in and very studiously started talking about how he has cured people of this. They went over orthotics and a bunch of other things. Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed. I just came in to find out about an implant.
Went back the next day for CT Scans (which is needed for next steps of implant) and they started talking about the bone loss that they see on my upper teeth and explained how this can come from a misaligned jaw. The dentist then comes in and studied the x-rays/scans for quite a long time. He then says that regardless of the vertigo, my upper teeth will start to get loose in the future ( from the bone loss), and Invisalign will help with alignment, which will stop bone loss. He also talked about TMJ/TMD, checked for popping in the jaw, asked if I had headaches/facial pain/earaches.
Also, he said that he wouldn't do the implant because my teeth will shift with the Invisalign - assuming that's where I want to start.
I can't see how I can go 1-2 years without the implant. it's the lower tooth (31) in front of the back molar which handles most of the chewing.
I am thinking of going for another opinion but wow...this was overwhelming! Has anybody else had this type of experience?
Hello All - I was hoping that someone who knows about dentistry or even a dentist might be able to answer a question for me.
After some research, I found a new dentist recently as i was looking for someone closer to home. I've been going to my last dentist about 10 years but he doesn't take any insurance now so I have to pay up front for everything. I figured it's time to move on at this point.
My old dentist did a tooth extraction and bone graft for me in Sept 2023 and that cost over 3,000!!!!
Anyway, I got prices at the new dentist and did a compare and he came in less and had great reviews.
When I got there, I mentioned to the intake person that i have vertigo and she immediately called another staff member in, who then started talking to me about Invisalign and how it can cure vertigo. Dentist came in and very studiously started talking about how he has cured people of this. They went over orthotics and a bunch of other things. Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed. I just came in to find out about an implant.
Went back the next day for CT Scans (which is needed for next steps of implant) and they started talking about the bone loss that they see on my upper teeth and explained how this can come from a misaligned jaw. The dentist then comes in and studied the x-rays/scans for quite a long time. He then says that regardless of the vertigo, my upper teeth will start to get loose in the future ( from the bone loss), and Invisalign will help with alignment, which will stop bone loss. He also talked about TMJ/TMD, checked for popping in the jaw, asked if I had headaches/facial pain/earaches.
Also, he said that he wouldn't do the implant because my teeth will shift with the Invisalign - assuming that's where I want to start.
I can't see how I can go 1-2 years without the implant. it's the lower tooth (31) in front of the back molar which handles most of the chewing.
I am thinking of going for another opinion but wow...this was overwhelming! Has anybody else had this type of experience?
Thanks!
There's WAY too much stuff to unpack here. And it sounds like you're confusing terms and possibly misunderstanding what you're being told.
The CT scan is a CBCT scan, not the same CT scan that people get to check arthritis in their knees, for example.
Vertigo is caused by something wrong in your inner ear/s, in the vestibular labyrinth, an area that controls balance. If it's an infection, then antibiotics can treat and cure it. If not, then there are a number of treatments, but no cure for chronic vertigo. Fixing teeth/jaw can't fix vertigo.
You're being detailed about what the doctor asked you, but you don't tell us what your answer was. It's possible that you DO have TMJ disorder, and that can clear up headaches and jaw pain and problems with your back teeth. But if you don't have any of those symptoms, there's not much of a need to treat the TMJ disorder. On the other hand, if you /do/ have TMJ disorder, AND IF that disorder is affecting your back teeth, then there's no point in doing an implant if you're just going to break the crown from overgrinding or poor alignment with the teeth next to it and the teeth above it.
You should go back to this dentist and have a CONVERSATION with him. Tell him you don't understand a single thing he told you, and ask him to explain it as if you were a 6th grader. If he can't, or won't, then find another dentist. There's no reason for a patient to be this confused about their own body, when discussing treatments with their doctor.
Agree. This is potentially life-changing stuff so I'd want to be sure I understand what's being proposed and all the associated risks. Going forward without understanding will probably lead to unrealistic expectations.
Suggestion: If you liked and trusted your previous dentist, why not call for a consultation about the new proposals and offer to pay cash for it? It might be $ well spent. They've worked on your mouth and should be aware of "bone loss", TMJ and other problems that might be present. They would be able to answer questions and provide an experienced and personal perspective. Certainly more experienced than that of total strangers on the web!
Sounds like this new dentist is trying to sell Invisalign.
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