My Jaw Story ~ Part 3
“This will change your life.” That is what he told me as I sat in the treatment chair. My mind furiously wondering, What is wrong with my life? Why I am just learning all this now. I am 53, I don’t feel sick. I am in good physical shape. I go to the dentist regularly. I have had braces twice in the past and I need them again. I don’t necessarily feel “unwell”. Additionally, I have now learned I need surgery in conjunction with orthodontics. Medically necessary surgery.
This is where my current journey started. After a year of waiting, It is January 2023. I finally had a consult with Dr. McDonald, at the time of this consult his practice is in Albuquerque, NM.
My teeth have been moving, I have increased crowding and my bite is off, again. I have crepitus and popping in my jaw joints. I have had braces twice before in my life. Do I really want to deal with this again? My Dentist offered me Invisalign. That didn’t appeal to me, there was not much explanation offered as to why my teeth keep moving, and I wanted another opinion. I also have a “crossbite”, aka malocclusion. I couldn’t wrap my head around how invisalign would fix that. My Dental office did recommend Dr. McDonald, but warned me there is often a long wait to get in. If you recall from “Smiles over Time, My Jaw Story Part 2”, I saw another local Orthodontist while waiting to see Dr. McDonald. This Orthodontist was very kind and empathetic, yet he turned down my case. He stated it was due to the crepitus in my temporomandibular joints. I appreciated his honesty and that he didn’t just slap brackets on my teeth that day and attempt to straighten my teeth without any other considerations. That encounter created a feeling of doom and misunderstanding. I have always had this “crepitus” and “popping” in my jaw. My Dentist palpates my joints twice a year and we have never talked about it. I didn’t have significant pain at the time. It is at this point I realize something more significant than crowded teeth is happening. This is where the confusion and the journey of learning begins.
A Dentist offering invisalign and being turned away by an Orthodontist. Who is right? What is happening in my joints that an orthodontist turned me away. It is not unusual that my jaw joints pop and crack, maybe the crepitus has grown worse over the past 10 + years. I have heard people talk about. “TMJ”. What is “TMJ”. Those letters stand for the joint name, right? Temporomandibular Joint. So what does that even mean when someone says they have “TMJ”? We all have 2 TMJs…. 2 Temporomandibular Joints. They function to help us masticate, breathe, speak. All life sustaining needs.
Finally, January 2023, I had my consultation with Dr. McDonald. I completed exams, x-rays, scans and MRI imaging. An MRI, no one has offered to do an MRI for my Jaw Joint. After the imaging was completed I was scheduled for a Zoom meeting with Dr. McDonald to review the results. This type of appointment was scheduled so we could look at the results of my MRI together and have a record of the appointment for my review later. During this hour long consultation and education regarding the results of my MRI, in March 2023, he recommended I talk to a Maxillofacial Surgeon for consultation. His demeanor was very somber and I felt like I was given very bad news. Yet, this was still sinking in with me. I didn’t fully understand what the problem is. I don’t feel that unwell. He advised me to follow up on my October 2023 at-home sleep study with an In-Lab sleep study. I complied with his request to do the overnight In-Lab sleep study in April 2023. I also followed his suggestion of a consultation with a Surgeon. He recommended Dr. Brian Shah at the Piper Clinic in Florida.
I have now returned from the surgical consultation, which occurred June 2023. Now, I am developing a plan. I am back in the orthodontist chair talking about my options that arose from the surgical consult he recommended. If I didn’t pursue surgery, he told me the other option is to wear a splint for the rest of my life or my joints will just continue to worsen. Without surgery, I won’t be able to have much benefit from braces since the foundation of my bite will continue to wear away.
Here I sit, scared, overwhelmed, and confused; listening to an Orthodontist tell me:
“This will change your life”
Meet Dr. McDonald. His collaborative philosophy and forward thinking approach opened my eyes. His approach involves working with other providers. He discusses care from Dental, Surgical, Atlas-Orthogonal Chiropractor, ENT, and Sleep Medicine in the discussion. As part of his practice he helps educate the Dental / Orthodontic community on the importance of the health of the Jaw Joint. His approach includes the foundation of the Jaw, the Temporomandibular Joint. If the foundation of the Jaw is not healthy, the other work being done will relapse. Please take the time to listen to this interview.
