Thanks for the reply:

What I was told by both dentists on both issues:

First dentist on the composite issue: "A small percentage, about 5% of patients, have teeth that do not go well with composites; they will always feel pain with chewing with them. Composites are very hard and glass ionomer is softer; so some people do better with the softer material"...Now, I obviously did not go to dental school, so I just took that at it's word as the glass ionomer ended up working, whereas before, every composite had an issue.

The second dentist actually said, "I don't like to criticize other dentists, but I like to tell my patients with such obvious TMD (which he continuously called TMJ, so I guess that's a problem), that any work will impact the TMD, so we can weigh the benefit/risk. If that didn't happen, it could have led to this issue" He then said, "I would like to prescribe you a muscle relaxer as a diagnostic tool, based on your pain...if it works, it's probably TMD, but I think you have it"...I asked him several times if it could be an abscess effecting the jaw bone, and without an x-ray he said no, there would need to be pain in the tooth, and it would be effecting a different part of your jaw, not the body of it".

All I know is that I had a good bit of work done, if I do have TMD it's never bothered me before...then after the work, I have pain in my jaw on the same side as I now see a dent.

I am going to call for an appointment tomorrow for a bitewing x-ray, from my original dentist, as she has all my files and can compare. The new dentist had nothing and made that diagnosis.

I will consider a third opinion as well.