I mentioned to my dentist I’d been having pretty bad headaches. He instantly started moving my jaw around and declared that I have TMJ disorder. He wants to crown all my teeth. He says it will solve my headaches but at quite a cost! I’m not sure the $30K is worth it. Is there no other solution? I see that you treat TMJ as well, but seem to have other treatments.
Kimberly
Dear Kimberly,
There are many causes and solutions for TMJ Disorder
I am glad you wrote. What your dentist is suggesting is known as a full-mouth reconstruction. Not only is it reserved for the most serious of TMJ cases, but it also is an immensely advanced procedure. If you were in need of that, you would not have had to tell him about your headaches. He would have noticed your bite was off. If he didn’t, then he is not the one to do the procedure even if it was necessary.
Before you do anything, I would like you to see a dentist who has significant post-doctoral training in TMJ Disorder. In order to give you some idea of the type of dentist you would need, I would like you to look at Dr. Hadgis’ TMJ Specialist page. The best dentists will begin with the most conservative treatment. Only if those show no signs of helping would he or she delve into more invasive treatments. Your dentist is suggesting one of the most invasive treatments from the very beginning.
If it turns out you do need a full-mouth reconstruction, which I highly doubt, I want you to make sure that your dentist not only has the same LVI training that Dr. Hadgis does, but that (also like Dr. Hadgis) he is AACD accredited. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the world. This way, not only will you have the correct bite, but a beautiful smile to go right along with it.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.