I knew my jaw was lopsided ever since I was a kid. It had become
normal to me and I had forgotten about it. For years I had avoided
certain hard foods as well as opening my mouth wide. I started having
what seemed like random painful symptoms once I got my very first
crown. There was never a pain in my actual jaw, but elsewhere in my
face, and dentists used new crowns and root canals to try to treat the
problem. The pains continued, but there was no pattern. I couldn't
always describe them well or precisely pinpoint their location. I did
not know my jaw was shifting while it tried to compensate for a
misaligned bite. I broke teeth while chewing, and I had six root
canals, four retreatments, and several crown replacements.
I learned that with each new crown, my bite would shift and before
long, my chewing would be off, all over again. My dentists weren't
"getting it," so I would move on to another dentist hoping the next
one would know what to do. This is how my six crowns were each
replaced three times. I had a constant neck ache and had to crack it
several times each day. Insurance coverage was inadequate and I used
a family inheritance to pay some of the bills. I began arguing with
the professionals who were trying to help me.
The nightmare continued as I began seeing orthodontists and TMJ
specialists. I had three different splints over a period of time. I
found myself chewing on my right side in order to avoid pain on the
left. This lasted for a period of about three years and I did not
know that I was causing further damage to my bite. I also developed
nerve damage above certain crowns I had been pounding on while
chewing.
Then the debilitating sinus pain began and my confounded doctors and
family were wondering if I needed a psychiatrist. I found only
moderate relief from a headache specialist. I was the only one who
knew I wasn't crazy!
Each of a dozen dentists had offered me only partial solutions to my
problem. The only full solution offered to me was to go back to
orthodontics and couple it with jaw surgery, making a large incision
right through the bone. However, with my history of treatment
failures, finding a specialist willing to take on the job was an
issue. By this time, digesting my food had become a problem.
When I read a Dental Life insert in the Sunday newspaper, I knew I
had finally found the answer! Not to mention, the first day I walked
into Dental Design Spa, they treated me like a queen. I really felt
like a guest and I feel like one every time I go.
I am presently undergoing tensing treatment to relax the pressure
against my jaw. It is so gentle and painless that I have fallen
asleep in the dental chair. When I phone Dr. Agatep to report that my
jaw has changed, she lets me know this is a good thing. It means I am
getting closer to my ideal bite.
Finally, the doctor and her staff appreciate my need to question and
understand the details of my treatment. Although I have not had my
restorations done, I am looking forward to having a nice nap during
the procedure. I have certainly never felt so positive about a dental
experience.
-Connie V.
Oct. 03, 2007
