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Danger of Dental Tourism for These Crowns

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I am considering going to Central America to have my dental crowns done.  This is because the dentist I spoke to told me he could do all twelve of the crowns I need for just $6000. Of course, travel will be a bit more, but not a ton. This dentist also showed me some images of dental crowns as a finished product. I liked how natural they looked. However, before I travel all that way, I wonder if you can tell me if there is anything I can do to make this go more smoothly?

Caryn

Dear Caryn,

Woman grabbing her cheek in pain, in need of an emergency Dentist

 

I am glad you wrote now instead of after you went forward with this procedure. When you are talking about traveling outside of the U.S. to get your dental work done. It is called dental toursim. I know of several people who have done this. Only one of them have had things work out they way they expected.

Here is a list of just some of the things that have gone wrong with patients getting their dental crowns elsewhere, in no particular order:

  1. You could lose the tooth.
  2. The dentist could overdrill causing nerve damage.
  3. The crowns could be the wrong color or not look the way you expected. I know you said he showed you pictures of beautiful crowns, but how do you know that was his work? It could have been stock photos.
  4. You may end up needing root canal treatments on those teeth.
  5. The crowns could fall off after you get back to the U.S.
  6. Your bite could be thrown off, which would lead to TMJ disorder.
  7. The crowns could be placed in a position that affects your speech.
  8. You could develop an infection.

I know of one woman who had four of the things on this list happen. Plus, in many Central and South American countries you do not get the same type of recourse you get at home. It will just be up to the dentist  whether or not he or she made it right. Even if they did agree to replace them, you would have to travel again. And what is to say the second time around will go any better?

You are much safer going to a dentist here. If price is your biggest concern, talk to the dentist. They may be willing to work out payments. If you are most concerned with their appearance, make sure you go to an AACD accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Collapsing Mouth

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I have a situation that I want to fix. Even when I smile, it is almost impossible to see my teeth, this is especially true of my upper teeth. My jaw hurts quite a bit and there are times (especially in the cold) where everything tightens up so much that I have trouble pronouncing words. It almost looks like my mouth has collapsed. My dentist is suggesting we try porcelain veneers. However, as expensive as they are I don’t want to just “try” something. I want to know it will work. Is this the right way for me to go?

Cassie

Dear Cassie,

illustration of tmj and its relation with neuromuscular dentistry

You may have a well-meaning family dentist, but he is out of his or her depth on this one. While porcelain veneers can help with your appearance issues, it is likely to make the other issues, such as the jaw pain and speech issues worse. I have not examined you, but based on the issues you are describing, it sounds like you ground down your teeth to the point where your mouth has over closed. This can lead to TMJ disorder. You do have several symptoms of that.

Your average family dentist cannot handle this. You are likely going to end up needing a full mouth reconstruction in order to build back your teeth to their correct positioning. This is one of the most advanced procedures in dentistry there is. To make matters worse, it is not taught in dental school. You will need a dentist who has invested in a significant amount of post-doctoral training in both TMJ and cosmetic dentistry. You don’t want to have to choose between form and function.

There are three particular schools that are fantastic in this type of training:

  • The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Pankey Institute
  • The Dawson Academy

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell, an AACD accredited dentist.

A Problem with TMJ

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About ten years ago I had crowns placed on all my teeth because my dentist said I ground them down. I appreciated what he was trying to do, but it seemed to not work. I ground those down, but then my bite became slanted like one side was shorter than another. I decided to try another dentist because of the pain I was feeling. He said I needed an orthotic device, which I paid for. This seemed to open up my bite too much and I am in even more pain than ever. I honestly don’t know what to do from here. I’ve spent a fortune and I am in a worse position than when I started.

Carol

Dear Carol,

A woman with jawpain

You have a serious situation on your hands. You have had the misfortune of being treated by two dentists who are in over their heads. Let’s start with the full mouth reconstruction. This is one of the most advanced procedures a dentist can do. I am not sure why your original dentist didn’t protect you from the tooth grinding. A simple mouthguard would have been advisable and saved you another fortune. I wish I’d seen your case before the crowns were ground down. It is possible they weren’t done properly to begin with.

Then, when your second dentist entered the picture it made things even worse. An orthotic device is meant to be temporary. When worn too long it will open up your bite too far as yours did. What you need now is a dentist with true expertise in TMJ Disorder. This is what they’ve left you with.

TMJ isn’t a recognized specialty. Because of that you have to be careful. Look for someone who has exentisive post-doctoral training. Among the best schools for this are:

  • The Pankey Institute
  • The Kois Center
  • Dawson Academy
  • Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies

When you look on the pages of dentists who treat TMJ Disorder, if they don’t list some training such as this, they probably don’t have any. Be wary.

This blog is blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell. An AACD accredited dentist.

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