You should exhaust all conservative options such as appliance therapy, behavorial modification, physiotherapy and medication prior to surgery. Give it no less than three months.
Surgery is the option of last resort. Don't allow anyone to grind your teeth!
Information contained within this reply is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a medical diagnosis or treatment recommendation. This is not a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Always seek the advice of your own doctor for medical condition. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.
Dear Dr. Kirsch,
Wasn't able to complete my question to you, so I will continue here...Just recently I went to a neuromuscular dentist that told me that he can get those discs back as much as he can in a more comfortable position. He may not be able to get the left side right back into postion but he said he might be able to help me to get rid of some of the pain. He wants to use an "ALF APPLIANCE" on the top, he says that it helps to repostion the jaw and skull, and an adjustable splint at the bottom. I am just feeling confused, after seeing the maxillofacial surgeon, thinking that this may lead to a discsectomy, as there is no guarentee that the appliances will work.. The dentist wants to add braces after all the splint therapy.. Here in Canada, they do not graft fat to use as a replacement disc, they will just file down the bone, and I am really afraid of going that route, its just not reversible. I would prefer to try the neuromuscular dentist's route, but I also wanting to know if its necessary to get rid of the scar tissue that the maxillofacial surgeon saw on the MRI. I would like your expertise on my condition as I outlined from my MRI, and if I should try with the neuromuscular dentist's suggestions. I also would like to try the arthroscopy, just to see if there is any changes, since I had that MRI done in July, and was thinking of possibly following up with the Neuromuscular dentist's appliances afterwards. Would appreciate any feedback you can give me on this subject....
seekandfind46.