Metal Mouth Message Board

Here's some background on me. I have struggled with bruxism issues since I was 13. I was prescribed many different splints that I wore on and off...I was less than compliant. After about six years of this, I was really starting to have some TMJ issues along with my severe grinding. I went to a new ortho who started me agin with splint therapy for about a year. After this I was fitted with an expander for my upper jaw, and then braces. I wore the braces for about two years. While in braces the ortho used springs and elastics to try and bring my lower jaw forward. After months and months of this, he determined that I would need to have surgery to move my jaw forward. Surgery was not in my budget at the time, so about a year ago my ortho removed my braces. I was given a set of essix retainers to wear (nightly) until I start treatment again.

I have been less than pleased with the essix retainers. The amount of bulk between my teeth seems to make my grinding and clenching worse when I sleep. About two months ago, I notice that my lower front teeth are starting to crowd again. I go to the ortho, he has me make an appointment to come in and be fitted for a spring retainer to correct those teeth, and he tells me that this will eliminate some of the bulk and alleviate some of the clenching. A few weeks later I go in for the impressions appointment, and am told that my ortho has left the practice...no warning. I am seen by the ortho that is filling in until they find a replacement. He insists that I be given a new essix aligner, and have some slenderizing done on my teeth. I express my concerns with this, and as soon as he hears TMJ he begins insisting I need to be back in splint therapy. I leave the office in tears.

I return to the office this week to meet with the partner, he agrees that I just need an essix aligner with some tooth slenderization. He also says that he thinks surgery can be avoided by just doing some more treatment with invisalign.

Both of these treatment plans greatly differ from what my previous ortho told me. I'm not sure what to do. I find it hard to believe that after two years of braces, a short stint in invisalign is going to correct the misalignment of my jaws. My teeth look great cosmetically (with the exception of the relapsed lowers), but my bite is a train wreck. My jaw still hurts most of the time, my teeth are wearing unevenly, and my bite feels way off and uncomfortable. Do I seek another opinion, when both of these orthos agree on a treatment plan? I don't know what to do here, I really just want some relief.

Sorry for the uber-long post.

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I wasn't sure where to post as it fits many different categories

may be you should seek some other opinions and ask every ortho a lot of questions about the treatement plan, the diagnostic, the excepted result and then choose the option you feel is the right one.
TMJ is a pain in the a**, hope youll get it sorted.
Be ruthless with the orthos: the one whom answer the best to your situation will earn your money (and bring health, who know ? )

I agree with mist, I would definitely go for another opinion.

Good luck,

B

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to make a few appointments with different orthos today. It is just disheartening because I thought I had a treatment plan that made sense, and that I had finally gotten comfortable with and then suddenly to have a new new ortho come and pull the rug right out from underneath me...it just caught me off guard. It would be great if I could avoid surgery, but it makes me start to question and wonder what my last ortho was doing if it ends up that surgery can be avoided with the same desired results.