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UrbanAngel · 10-05-2006, 07:25 PM

I've been going to the dentist pretty regularly since I was very young. I never really disliked it, I actually sometimes looked forward to it because I like the squeaky clean feeling I had after a cleaning. I've always had very straight teeth and only a few cavities, so nothing too severe ever had to be done. Even getting out my bottom two wisdom teeth wasn't too bad. I would say overall visiting the dentist was a positive experience.

However, this all recently changed.

About 4 months ago, I had a toothache, and went to the dentist. I had only seen this dentist once before, but he seemed pretty competent. Anyway, he said my upper left wisdom tooth was decayed and needed to come out. I consented, and he got it out in about 10 minutes, but MAN did he yank hard on my jaw. I seriously thought my head was going to split right down the middle like in a cartoon. It felt okay afterwards though, so I didn't think much of it.

However, my ear constantly popped afterwards. Also, a couple of weeks later, I noticed an odd crease running down my face (smile line.) I'm young, so I thought it was weird, but whatever. A few days later, the "full" feeling developed into a constant earache. I thought my face was also beginning to look a bit funny on the left. I went back to the dentist, who said I was fine, no infection. Well, ok. Over the next couple of months, the earache became worse, I began to have a tight "pulling" feeling all over the left hand side of my face, and my jaw and face started to occasionally twitch and spasm. I went to an oral surgeon, who sent me too a neurologist, who examined me for 10 minutes and said I was fine. But the symptoms continued, and my face was beginning to look lopsided to the point that other people were asking me what was up. I had no idea what to tell them. I started to get ringing in my ears and had bouts of dizziness. My ear and face constantly ached. The muscle spasms got worse. I was seriously starting to think I had a brain tumor or something.

I had to have a cavity filled, and this time went to a new dentist that was reccomended to me. I told him about my symptoms, he took some x-rays and tested my range of motion, I could pull my jaw to one side 11 (cm?) and to the other only 4. He said my chin was deviating sharply every time I opened my mouth. I guess the first dentist yanked so hard on my jaw he partially dislocated the disc in my jaw and I also had capsulits, inflammation of the joint, from the trauma. He prescribed me muscle relaxers and NSAIDs and told me to use warm compresses and it would get better, but it hasn't. Also, as a triple-majoring last semester senior taking 19 credits, the muscle relaxers make it hard for me to concentrate. So, basically, before I went to the dentist I was fine, now I am constantly sore and have a crooked face, not to mention I'm broke.

Needless to say, I no longer like visiting the dentist.

10-05-2006, 07:25 PM	#27 (permalink)
UrbanAngel Upright	visiting the dentist I've been going to the dentist pretty regularly since I was very young. I never really disliked it, I actually sometimes looked forward to it because I like the squeaky clean feeling I had after a cleaning. I've always had very straight teeth and only a few cavities, so nothing too severe ever had to be done. Even getting out my bottom two wisdom teeth wasn't too bad. I would say overall visiting the dentist was a positive experience. However, this all recently changed. About 4 months ago, I had a toothache, and went to the dentist. I had only seen this dentist once before, but he seemed pretty competent. Anyway, he said my upper left wisdom tooth was decayed and needed to come out. I consented, and he got it out in about 10 minutes, but MAN did he yank hard on my jaw. I seriously thought my head was going to split right down the middle like in a cartoon. It felt okay afterwards though, so I didn't think much of it. However, my ear constantly popped afterwards. Also, a couple of weeks later, I noticed an odd crease running down my face (smile line.) I'm young, so I thought it was weird, but whatever. A few days later, the "full" feeling developed into a constant earache. I thought my face was also beginning to look a bit funny on the left. I went back to the dentist, who said I was fine, no infection. Well, ok. Over the next couple of months, the earache became worse, I began to have a tight "pulling" feeling all over the left hand side of my face, and my jaw and face started to occasionally twitch and spasm. I went to an oral surgeon, who sent me too a neurologist, who examined me for 10 minutes and said I was fine. But the symptoms continued, and my face was beginning to look lopsided to the point that other people were asking me what was up. I had no idea what to tell them. I started to get ringing in my ears and had bouts of dizziness. My ear and face constantly ached. The muscle spasms got worse. I was seriously starting to think I had a brain tumor or something. I had to have a cavity filled, and this time went to a new dentist that was reccomended to me. I told him about my symptoms, he took some x-rays and tested my range of motion, I could pull my jaw to one side 11 (cm?) and to the other only 4. He said my chin was deviating sharply every time I opened my mouth. I guess the first dentist yanked so hard on my jaw he partially dislocated the disc in my jaw and I also had capsulits, inflammation of the joint, from the trauma. He prescribed me muscle relaxers and NSAIDs and told me to use warm compresses and it would get better, but it hasn't. Also, as a triple-majoring last semester senior taking 19 credits, the muscle relaxers make it hard for me to concentrate. So, basically, before I went to the dentist I was fine, now I am constantly sore and have a crooked face, not to mention I'm broke. Needless to say, I no longer like visiting the dentist. Last edited by UrbanAngel; 10-05-2006 at 07:36 PM..