Bad Dentistry & Bite Reconstruction
Los Angeles
Half way through her treatment, she decided to find another dentist and discovered Dr. Sam Muslin
Changing Dentists
A full mouth reconstruction involves a complex treatment plan where a new bite is built with porcelain crowns on every tooth (as in this case). Originally, Joy was seeing another cosmetic dentist, but was not satisfied with the quality of care. Half way through the treatment, and over $30,000 later, she decided to find a different cosmetic dentist. Joy searched the Internet and found Dr. Sam Muslin’s website and was very impressed with the before and after photos of his patients. (Also read about Bob's Bite Reconstruction.)
Neck Pain, Head Pain & Neuromuscular Dentistry
Joy was in constant discomfort because of her bad bite. A bad bite can contribute to facial pain, neck pain, headaches, sore jaws, broken teeth, cracked teeth, worn down teeth etc. She was miserable and her head and neck weren’t getting any better. The first dentist had already cemented 14 permanent porcelain crowns on the lowers, but the color was too dark, they were tipped towards the back of her mouth and worst of all, her bite still caused her pain. While some forms of neuromuscular dentistry can relieve neck pain, the complexity and individualization require extensive training in all phases of dentistry. To determine the best possible jaw position, Dr. Muslin had to go beyond basic neuromuscular dentistry and slowly increase the height of her bite to test the position that was most comfortable for her.
Bite Reconstruction & Facial Dynamics
The goal of treatment was to achieve a bite that could possibly relieve Joy’s facial pain. It was not practical to work with the existing crowns because they were not in the right position, nor did they have the right angulations, color or height. The existing teeth and bite would not achieve the facial dynamics, function and bite lift that were necessary.
Dental Implants, Fixed Bridges, Porcelain Crowns
Joy was worn out from all of the hours in the chair with her previous dentist. She had gone through implant treatment, but still had more teeth that were loose and badly decayed. Her neck and jaw pain made the whole treatment process that much more unbearable. Joy needed treatment that would be of the highest quality and delivered in the least amount of visits as possible. The level of care that Joy unknowingly wanted to achieve was Face Lift Dentistry ®
First Treatment Visit was a Test Visit
Because he wanted to determine to what extent the bite contributed to her head and neck pain, Dr. Muslin replaced her upper teeth with new temporary teeth and made a series of additions and adjustments. Incredibly, her neck pain was gone after about an hour of neuromuscular testing. The head and neck pain she had for years was suddenly gone! This tremendous breakthrough helped Dr. Muslin determine that approximately 90% of Joy’s head and neck pain were due to the position of her lower jaw in relation to her skull.
Second Treatment Visit
With the head and neck pain greatly relieved and a very happy patient in the chair, treatment moved forward very quickly. The upper teeth were restored with porcelain bridges, crowns and implant crowns to specific heights, angulations and lengths in order to maintain the new incredibly comfortable bite. Face Lift Dentistry® attempts to find the best esthetics, jaw and facial height position, tooth shapes and sizes, health and comfort.
Long Teeth & Short Upper Lip
Joy’s teeth have always been long, but we needed to make them a little longer in order to relieve her face and neck pain. Strangely enough, her new, longer crowns actually appear smaller than what she had. This is because the teeth are cosmetically balanced and better proportioned. The combination of a short upper lip and long teeth can be a significant cosmetic dentistry challenge, but Dr. Muslin managed to give her a natural appearance and still reduce her neck pain.
Dental Health Care and Self Esteem
The ultimate level of reconstructive dental care is to develop three-dimensional repositioning for the jaw, which alleviates pain in the neck and the head. The patient’s dental health is also improved because all of the dental decay and gum infection have been successfully treated and all missing teeth replaced. Essentially, the total health of her entire body has improved with the successful delivery of Face Lift Dentistry ®. Psychologically, Joy has been completely revitalized. Her spirit is improved, her posture is improved, she is more relaxed and a much happier person.
For more information on Bite Reconstruction in Los Angeles, contact Dr. Sam Muslin for a consultation.