Monthly Archives: January 2016

TMJ

Could an accident cause TMJ problems?

I was in a acr accident the other day and got knocked around quite a bit.  Now  I have a lot of jaw pain and my jaw keeps making a popping sound whenever I chew. Could I have developed TMJ from this? Someone told me that’s what the popping is.

Brenna L. – New Mexico

Brenna,

Popping is a symptom of TMJ and it is possible to get it from a car accident, if your jaw was knocked out of alignmet. The only way to know for sure is to see a dentist who treats TMJ.

Do not hesitate to ask about their TMJ training credentials. There is not a recognized  TMJ specialty. That means any dentist can call themselves a TMJ dentist even without additional training.

Some training qualifications will be Spear, Dawson Academy, The Kois Center, LVI (Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies). Those are good qualifications and you can feel assured the dentist will have a valuable understanding of TMJ and how to properly treat it.

This blog is brought to you by Salem, MA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.

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Do I need jawbone for snap on dentures

My dentist said I needed to get dentures, because I don ‘t have enough jawbone for dental implants. I was really disappointed to hear that. I have heard that there are snap on dentures that use a mini type of implant. Am I able to get those with a little jawbone?

Brendon L. – Tennessee

Brendon,

Unfortunately, without enough jawbone, the mini implants won’t have enough support for your snap on dentures. Snap on dentures are usually used when people are good candidates for dental implants, but don’t have the money for the big daddies.

Did your dentist not mention bone grafting? If you really wanted dental implants, you can have bone grafted to your jawbone to build up the structure.

If you’ve lost that much bone already, then eventually your dentures won’t even stay in place. Your bottom dentures rest on your lower jaw and that is the only thing keeping them in.

This blog is brought to you by Salem, MA Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.