I do think that my bite could possibly be helped by doing an equilibrium but
I don't think my dentist would want to risk it because she's seen firsthand
how changing one thing can cause an entire cascade of events that are
unforeseen and very difficult to undo.  I'm too afraid to seek out a dentist
who does these adjustments for fear of possibly worse problems happening to
me such things I've read about with people developing painful TMJ jaw issues
after an occlusal adjustment.  I admit I'm very scared to make any changes
that aren't absolutely necessary at this point.

I believe the reason the molar that cracked and was crowned and symptom free
for three years under the crown cracked again was because I learned that
crown was only occluding on the outside cusp and nobody knew about it until
after the tooth cracked.  (It was that cusp that cracked.)  My dentist
discovered it was only occluding on that one cusp when I went in with my
cracked tooth symptoms on that crowned and previously cracked tooth.

The crown was placed three years ago to repair another crack in that molar
by a prosthodontist who is not my dentist anymore.  I thought it was weird
that he said the bite didn't need to be adjusted when the crown was
cemented.  I didn't have any pain afterwards, so I let it go.  Now I learn
that crowned tooth was carrying the brunt of almost my entire bite on the
left side just on its one cusp because, once it was taken out of occlusion,
almost all my teeth on my left side are now out of occlusion.  Now my right
side is taking the majority of the force of my bite.

When a new restoration is completed they have me bite on the paper or film
and pronounce my bite as fine.  Unfortunately I sometimes still have pain
and develop symptoms over time such as abfraction lesion notches, gum
recession, and changes of tooth positions in other areas of my mouth.  I
went to three different dentists asking to have the bite adjusted on my
lower crowned root canalled tooth after the crown was cemented and the bite
felt "off" and they all worked on it with bite paper and film and pronounced
my bite as good.  It didn't feel right to me and I had pain in the tooth for
a year.  Within three months of the crown being placed I developed for the
first time, abfraction lesions on all my molars and my upper front teeth
that were straight and normal went into a completely open bite with flared
and crossed and twisted incisors.  I also developed very severe gum
recession but the pockets remained at 2mm or less because of my excellent
home care.

Because of my experiences in the past such as the one listed above, I have a
lot of fear of letting anyone do anything to me anymore and I especially
fear getting new restorations such as crowns and bridges.  I take excellent
care of my teeth by flossing and brushing and I get them cleaned every four
months by a periodontist.  I'm guess I should be extremely grateful I don't
have the problems of jaw joint issues and headaches, etc. with all the
problems I do have and have had all my life.  I am very grateful to have
been spared that.

The dentist I have now knows that I do have bite issues and she tries very
hard to adjust things properly after restorations and she's done a great job
for the most part.  However, once that paper says it's perfect, she is
inclined to want to believe it over me saying I still feel like there might
be a problem.  She does try to help but then I eventually just try to make
the best of it and hope it will be OK.  Over time, my teeth begin to adjust
in any way they can and it usually causes some kind of changes for the
worst.   Just in the month that my bite was way off on the right side after
my crown was taken out of occlusion on the left side by a second opinion
dentist, I have gotten very deep gum recession on the lower right crowned
root canalled first molar on the cheek side of the molar.  You can actually
see the orangeish pink gutta percha beginning to show through the root below
where the crown margin and the gums are because maybe that part of the root
bone has thinned due to the stresses placed on it for only one month even
though I was wearing my NTI almost 24/7 during that time.   I also cracked a
composite filling in the molar above the root canalled tooth during that
time.  I think the stresses I place on my teeth with eating might be enough
to do damage.  If I hadn't had my NTI in who knows what would have happened.

I'd give anything if they could come up with a cure for parafunction. I know
lately they are saying orthodontia is the answer.  Maybe if I had a spare
ten or twenty thousand dollars and the years of time to risk trying it,
maybe it would help but I know for a fact that I was clenching even when I
had perfectly straight teeth with no open bite and my canines were touching
each other.  I have big wear facets on them to prove it!  I recently learned
on a dental website that people like me can't tolerate implants or dentures
very well either!  I have faith dental science or God helping a scientist
will cause a solution to be discovered that will actually cure this problem
once and for all.

I was glad to recently learn on the headachehelp website that Dr. Boyd
developed an NTI for denture wearers.  I hope he will develop all kinds of
NTI's for people with implants, crowns, partials, bridges in the front, etc.
People like me need help badly and there will be plenty of them as the baby
boomers age and their teeth begin to crack.

The minute I learned about NTIs a few months after my root canal - but after
the damage was already done,  I went online and found a dentist who made
them in my town and had one made.  I doubt I would have any teeth left at
all if I hadn't gotten an NTI back then.  I think I would have snapped them
off at the abfraction lesions.  I since have had to go to two NTIs because
one of my lower front teeth that was previously cracked before the NTI
became more damaged as time went on, so I now need the protection of a lower
NTI to balance the load over more teeth.  I hope they someday will come up
with an NTI for people who might have bridges for their upper and/or lower
front teeth because I'm afraid that could happen to me if I get any more gum
recession in my front teeth.

Dr. Boyd is a true national treasure for what he has done to help people
like me.  I hope he will continue to expand on his work and provide help or
special NTI's for all those who have parafunction no matter what the state
of their teeth or restorations or lack of teeth thereof.

Thank you for understanding the severity and ramifications of occlusion
problems.