One month ago, I went to Mexico for cosmetic dentistry. The dentist completed 12 lower crowns and 6 veneers on the front upper teeth. Since getting the work completed (2 1/2 weeks ago now), my lower jaw has been extremely painful. It’s not in the gums, but my jaw itself. One tooth hurts to chew anything (even something soft, like bread). I asked the dentist about it and she said to take ibuprofen for a few weeks because so much work was done in such a short amount of time; and that the crown on the tooth that’s sensitive to chewing may have high contact, or need a root canal. That tooth does not touch any of the top teeth when I clench. I’m concerned that I’m having to take so much ibuprofen, and that it’s not really helping the real issue. Should I still be experiencing pain at this point? I take 800mg of Ibuprofen every 4-6 hrs – that can’t be good!!
– Julie from Iowa

Julie,
This doesn’t sound good.

The dentist told you to take ibuprofen for a FEW WEEKS??? Are you serious? So much ibuprofen over that long a period of time can damage your liver or your kidneys. You are taking 3200 to 4000 milligrams a day. I think the maximum recommended dose is about 2400 mg per day over short periods.

No, this kind of pain after getting crowns or porcelain veneers is not normal. Something is wrong. Some tenderness or soreness for a couple of days maybe could be expected. And your teeth should all be touching evenly.

You need a second opinion from a reputable American dentist. You have two excellent cosmetic dentists near you. [Names not included in this post]. Have one of them look you over and see what is wrong before this gets out of control and so you can get off this ibuprofen immediately. It does sound like you may need a root canal treatment. Don’t have that done in Mexico, please.

Only about one out of every fifty dentists in the United States is capable of doing a beautiful smile makeover. However, most of our dentists are fairly competent in general dentistry. If you go to Mexico, your chances of getting in trouble with even basic general dentistry are high, and there are probably only a handful of good cosmetic dentists in the entire country. I know of a couple, so it is possible to get quality work there. But clearly you didn’t end up with one of the good ones.

Dr. Hall

Links: Read more about cosmetic dentistry costs.
Read more about the quality of dental care outside the US.