Is Your Dentist Right For You?

So you have TMJ/TMD and you now need to choose a dentist, but how? How do you know if your dentist understands?

This is a difficult decision and most of us have to choose a dentist based on insurance. You will find a variety of answers, but the truth is that you know what is best.  You ARE the expert because you ARE living with this. 

Here are two different experiences I have had at two different dentists within the past 12 months:

I chose my original dentist because it was close to my house and I liked the dentist.  Once I had bilateral TJR, my dental needs changed.   The dentist knew about my surgery prior to my joint replacement.  My second visit after surgery is where it all went wrong.  It was an appointment for a cleaning, check-up, and x-rays.  Normally this would be fine, but Florida was in rainy season and the pressure was killing my jaw. 

I expressed that I could suffer through the cleaning, but would need to have the x-rays done at a different time.  The dental hygienist explained the importance of dental hygiene and expressed the consequences of not getting x-rays.  I fully understood how imperative it was to keep up with dental health, but just didn’t feel well.  He let the subject go until after my cleaning.  We discussed it again.  Again, I said no.  He went to speak with the Dentist.  I heard him tell her that I was refusing x-rays and she told him to convince me. 

He came back and attempted to persuade me to get them done.  I, once again, stressed that it would need to be done another day.  He then pulled out and had me sign paperwork stating that I refused dental treatment (x-rays) and that the dentist wouldn’t see me until I took them.

He then walked me to the reception and made sure to tell them that I had to reschedule because of my refusal to take x-rays at that moment, and used the signed paperwork as further proof of my refusal.

I left the dentist office angry.  Not once did they even try to understand my pain or what I was going through. 

I wrote a detailed letter to the dentist explaining my grievances.  She replied and apologized.  She blamed the dental hygienist for the misunderstanding, even though she refused to see me that day.  I have not been back since.

My new dentist is close to my work.  When I booked the appointment, I told the office about my bilateral TJR.  They asked if I had recent panoramic x-rays, and requested that I email it to them, which I did.

When I arrived, they did my x-rays first.  The woman understood my anxiety about them and even removed the x-ray holder (the big plastic thing-I don’t actually know the name) and I held the x-ray sensor in my mouth.  This made the experience much easier. 

I then described my dry mouth, and the dentist felt that it was related to surgery.  They applied for this dry mouth treatment through my insurance and I received it within two weeks.

This dentist suggested I get a water pic to help me reach my back teeth.  Overall, I felt the office was kind and they listed to me.

 Obviously, I am not going to the latter dentist.  Even though neither dentist has experience with TJR patients, the second dentist (and her office) has compassion.  She might not fully understand my struggles, but she tries...and that is what matters to me.

The biggest mistake I could have made was to stick with my original dentist because I was too lazy to find another.

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