cleaning concern

[suszy123456789]

i have had a regular cleaning and my teeth feel painful and sensitive to touch. i also feel my bite is off because when i bite down i am hitting teeth i never used to. i do not want to go back to the dentist,i am just asking what you feel as a dr. what could be going on here,i was feeling maybe when she polished the teeth being that she was new she used the wrong instrument,is that possible and would this cause this discomfort? if so what do you do from this point on to get better?please answer, my teeth are really bothering me and please do not tell me to visit the dentist,just looking for your professional advice!!!! thank you! it has been 6 days so far

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

No, the bleaching and fluoride mixed together (not literally at the same time) is okay.  Sometimes after an in-office bleaching, you can apply fluoride to reduce possibility of sensitivity.  I wouldn't do too much with your teeth though until they resolve themselves.  Are the symptoms getting better or worse?

[suszy123456789]

well,i was wondering  why my teeth in the cracks were looking brown and stained,i just read that act and crest pro health care,along with others might cause tooth discoloration......so,i got nervous and stuck a crest whitening strip on the dark spots, this is bad,what damage did i cause? can you mix fluoride with bleaching? please answer i am so scared,now i have the tmj,this is awful.......

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Ya you could possibly.  Its definitely more dangerous if you swallow it, rinsing with it should be okay but I would recommend once a day.

[suszy123456789]

dr.,i forgot to ask, can you over use a fluoride rinse like act? i was using it and didnt read the directions which cleary states once a day,i was using morning and night,just wondering? thanks

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

My initial reaction would be to put you in a nightguard too if you're grinding often.  The nightguard helps to prevent the extra wear and tear from grinding that you do at night.  Grinding can be very destructive as you can add alot of pressure while you're asleep and don't know it.  

Also, sometimes with a nightguard, when you start to clench, it can trigger a part of your pain and "wake" you up from clenching when it notices somethings in the way and stop the clenching.

Try to ice the area down if its sore and try to stretch it out from time to time.  I would also recommend a softer diet

[suszy123456789]

ps. i refuse to take any kind of pain pills except for advil and is there any natural remedies that you would suggest to heal the jaw and stop the grinding???