I’m really concerned and don’t know what I need to do. I’d been having serious migraines and talked to my doctor about it. He’d been running tests but we haven’t had any real success in finding the cause. I mentioned it when I saw my dentist because I was having one right then. He started messing with my jaw and said he thinks the problem is TMJ Disorder. He suggested I get a full-mouth reconstruction. This costs more than I make in a year. Is there any other treatment or does it require this? I’ll do what I need because these migraines are unbearable. But, man, I don’t know how I’m going to afford this.
Liv
Dear Liv,
I will say there are some warning bells going on here that have me concerned. First, let’s go over what is accurate. Migraines can be the result of TMJ Disorder. However, the first treatment is rarely a full mouth reconstruction. These are for the worst cases and only after other, more conservative treatments have been tried and failed.
In your place, I’d like you to get a second opinion. If your jaw was in that bad of a condition that it required such an invasive procedure, why hadn’t he mentioned it before?
Who Should Treat You TMJ?
There isn’t really a recognized TMJ Specialty. That means any general dentist can treat TMJ regardless of their level of training. I want you to see someone with a significant amount of TMJ training. This is especially true if you do end up needing a full-mouth reconstruction.
For instance, Dr. Doan has done extensive training with the Dawson Academy, which is one of the top TMJ training centers in the country.
However, when you are talking about a full-mouth reconstruction, you will want the form of your smile to be beautiful along with proper function. This means not only will you want a dentist with expertise in TMJ, you’ll also want an expert cosmetic dentist.
If you were having every tooth re-done, you want a top-of-the-line cosmetic dentist. My recommendation would be to find a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
AACD accredited dentists can give you a stunning smile you’ll be proud to share with the world.
This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Dentist Dr. Steven Doan.