Why New Dental Crowns Can Sometimes Cause Headaches
Dr. Bruce Wilderman is pleased to serve patients throughout the Philadelphia area at his cosmetic and restorative dental care center. At Artistic Expressions Dentistry, we offer advanced porcelain crowns that look totally natural as well as other restorations and treatments that can help your smile look its best and be its healthiest.
We've noticed some talk online about dental crowns linked to headaches and other kinds of facial and cranial discomfort. Let's delve into this matter in a little more detail.
About Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are caps that fit over teeth that have been seriously damaged or decayed. These dental restorations help restore the overall function of the teeth, allowing patients to bite and chew as they did before. Porcelain dental crowns are also available, which restore function and also look just like natural tooth structure.
Given the benefits of crowns, you may wonder how they could result in headaches. Here's how.
New Dental Crowns Sometimes Have an Incorrect Fit
While many dentists work carefully to ensure that the crown that is placed fits perfectly, there are times when the overall fit of the crown is not quite right. In such cases, the overall position of the teeth is thrown off, which is known as malocclusion. Even a slight issue with malocclusion can lead to a number of notable dental health problems.
Malocclusion Can Affect Your Bite Quality
One important factor to consider is that malocclusion affects the overall quality and balance of your bite. This can make chewing and other common tasks result in tooth pain, jaw pain, and even headaches.
Malocclusion Can Contribute to a Case of Teeth Grinding
Malocclusion is a common causes of a condition known as teeth grinding (bruxism). This is the clenching, grinding, and shifting of the teeth while a patient is asleep. It occurs because a comfortable resting position cannot be found when a patient is sleeping. Over time, the teeth grinding can result in damage to the teeth, headaches, ear aches, neck pain, gum recession, and problems with the condition of the jaw joint (e.g., a TMJ disorder).
Ways of Improving Dental Crown Fit
If you have received a poorly fitted, placed, or crafted dental crown at another practice, we will be more than happy to help improve the fit by assessing the nature of the crown that was placed and how it affects your bite. This analysis will involve an examination of the tooth/teeth of the opposing dental arch that come into contact with crown as well the teeth adjacent to the crown itself.
Ways of Preventing Issues with Restoration Fit
In order to avoid the potential for headaches with dental crowns, our team works carefully to ensure the best possible impressions are taken for the restoration. Working with a trusted off-site dental lab, their expertise will prove invaluable for the creation of excellent crowns that fit well and avoid issues with malocclusion in the process.
Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Bruce Wilderman
To learn more about advanced dental care treatments for tooth decay and tooth damage, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. Dr. Wilderman and the entire dental care team look forward to your visit and helping you achieve excellent dental health and wellness in the process.
