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Bite is off after implant placed

M

MountainMama

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
2,593
After I had my implant placed last Wednesday, my bite has been off. I figured it was due to swelling but the swelling is gone now and my bite is still off. It is like my lower jaw is shifted a few millimeters to the right. If I press on my jaw a tiny bit on the right and bite down, it feels correct.
I see my surgeon next week and will ask, but it is making my premolar next to the implant really hurt right now so I am hoping there is something I can do in the meantime. The premolar has a full throb and is sensitive to cold, and hurts when my teeth come together when chewing. It hits hard against the tooth above and against my nightguard at night. It is pretty miserable right now. That tooth has never had any work done.
 
Hi Mountainmama,
Wow, this sounds so irritating!
It it difficult to be sure what is happening. It could be trauma to the area causing a localised build up of pressure on the premolar. It could be that if the flap of gum was raised around the premolar you have had a bit of recession and that is making the tooth feel sensitive, but that does not explain the change in bite. Either way if you are a clencher or grinder it will make it feel worse right nowm
It could be that if you have your mouth open wide for a long time this has changed the way you bite. I don't really know, The chances are it will settle back down over the next week or so, I hope it is sooner rather than later.
Lincoln
 
Hi Mountainmama,
Wow, this sounds so irritating!
It it difficult to be sure what is happening. It could be trauma to the area causing a localised build up of pressure on the premolar. It could be that if the flap of gum was raised around the premolar you have had a bit of recession and that is making the tooth feel sensitive, but that does not explain the change in bite. Either way if you are a clencher or grinder it will make it feel worse right nowm
It could be that if you have your mouth open wide for a long time this has changed the way you bite. I don't really know, The chances are it will settle back down over the next week or so, I hope it is sooner rather than later.
Lincoln

Thank you. I sure hope it settles back to normal. The premolar and implant area are really bothering me, mostly when I lean over or move around. The area looks great...no swelling or redness. My teeth on the right side just don’t touch at all right now when I bite down, so it causes lots of pressure on the premolar, which hits first. I do clench my teeth at night but thankfully have a nightguard already.
The gums around the premolar were not affected. The surgeon did a technique where he basically did a hole punch in the gums, so no gum flap. It made recovery much more pleasant! No stitches!
I did have to have my mouth open for the implant placement for about 40 minutes but got to rest my jaw a few times.
 
So the implant was lower left side?
 
@drhirst
Now the pain has been getting worse. I have had to start taking Tylenol regularly now. I just don’t know if the pain can be attributed to my bite being off. I know my jaw muscles are tight...there is a sore spot if I press on the joint. However, there is a dull ache around the implant, right now under it and on the inside of my jaw. There is also aching in my back tooth behind the implant that comes and goes. Nothing is consistent. It isn’t throbbing but when I walk or lean over it pulses, if that makes sense. There is also a sort of burning around the implant, like the gums are irritated but no redness or swelling.
I have an appointment on Wednesday for a follow up. I doubt one day will make a difference so I haven’t called to see if I can get in tomorrow. The pain isn’t unbearable. It is tolerable with Tylenol.
I guess I am just confused as to what is happening? I haven’t had a “normal” extraction or implant yet, so I am trying to be reasonable but it seems odd that everything was fine and I had no pain then it started up.
 
I plan on calling the surgeon’s office tomorrow morning. The pain is getting worse and more intense. ? Tylenol is not helping anymore. It is throbbing now. I finished the course of antibiotics last week on Tuesday that he prescribed as a precaution. Ugh. Does this mean I am losing the implant?
 
I just got back from the surgeon’s office. He said the implant looked good on X-ray but the symptoms sounded like infection. He said there may be some there that we can’t see yet. So he put me on Augmentin as a precaution. Last time I took amoxicillin. He also checked my bite and discovered my bite is WAY off. He was really surprised as I am only hitting one tooth on the bottom when I bite down (lower premolar) Nothing on the right touches and my 2nd molar on the left doesn’t touch unless I grind side to side. He said he doesn’t want to adjust my bite because my TMJ joint is most likely inflamed, and he doesn’t want to change the bite only to have it wrong again when the swelling goes down. I also can’t take ibuprofen which is the only thing he would recommend. So I have to wait it out.
 
This all sounds about right from your previous description. I think you have been very unlucky. I would agree that it would be appropriate to see if it will resolve with time.
 
Oh, Mountain Mama. I’m so sorry. I wish, just once, things would go well for you the first time. It’s just too much sometimes, isn’t it?
 
Sorry to hear you're having issues @MountainMama, you really don't seem to have much luck with your teeth at all (I have tmjd and queried AFP too so I know how you feel, it's just one thing after another). Fingers crossed the antibiotics will sort it out and you can start to enjoy your new implant.
 
Thanks everyone. I had a painful night last night. Even though I didn’t really sleep, every time I dozed my premolar would bump the night guard and start throbbing. It is a little better this morning. I have a free day today and plan to rest my jaw and eat soft foods. I am just so tired of all this. ?
 
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