![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
more gnashing of teeth
May. 18th, 2005 03:51 pmI am in the unsettling situation of still not knowing if my tooth needs to come out. I am waiting and seeing. Or waiting and not yet seeing. Last week, I realized that my tendency to clench my teeth probably contributed to the risk of cracking the tooth. This morning, I realized that the recent dental work may have shifted things around enough to change the fit of my anti-bruxism device (the wonderful NTI www.nti-tss.com). I've had my NTI since 2001, and it helped reduce the intensity of my chronic daily headache...so long as it fits *perfectly*. The wonderful Brookline dentist who made it for me in the first place was really great about adjusting it, often adjusting it without charge. Unfortunately, his office is way the [obscenity] over in Brookline, and doesn't have evening hours. Even more unfortunately, he moved out of state this winter, and the colleague who took over the practice does not seem to share his understanding of the NTI. Perhaps it's more a matter of respect for the NTI, willingness to take it seriously, and caring about the differences between one that almost-fits and one that exactly-fits.
At the moment, I am torn between wanting:
1) to take an afternoon off to have my NTI adjusted by the only person I've met who knows anything at all about adjusting it. Because if tooth 13 is not cracked, clenching hard around an NTI that doesn't fit might make it crack, or at least make it heal more slowly.
2) to go back to the oral surgeon and demand that he remove tooth 13 right this minute so it will stop hurting. THEN have my NTI adjusted around a relatively stable situation. It does not actually cover tooth 13, but it presses against the front and side of tooth 12, among others.
3) to find another dentist, one I can trust, (one close enough and with sufficiently flexible hours that I can get there without sacrificing half a day of vacation time), saying "here, you fix this," and opening my mouth. I realize this is not sensible, but I am so tired of trying to be sensible.
The NTI website lists dentists who have experience with NTIs (and want to be listed on the website. Perhaps a small subset.) There are 6 dentists with the requisite NTI experience and location. Gauging trustworthiness, or even competence, is more of a challenge. Do any of you have experience with:
Charles Seitz of Watertown
Edward Donle of Watertown
Robert Murphy of Arlington
David Rosen of Lexington
Carolyn Schweitzer of Winchester
Robert Henkel of Woburn?
Mentioning laser dentistry on one's website is very popular these days. So is mentioning that one takes dental insurance. That one sterilizes one's equipment is certainly a good thing, but prominent mention on the website is something that might or might not be reassuring. Some of these dentists do oral surgery in-house, some refer elsewhere. One of them advertises (prominently, on the front page) a "dental diet system" that gives me qualms about the practice's focus, and whether their values will be consistent with mine. Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing?
At the moment, I am torn between wanting:
1) to take an afternoon off to have my NTI adjusted by the only person I've met who knows anything at all about adjusting it. Because if tooth 13 is not cracked, clenching hard around an NTI that doesn't fit might make it crack, or at least make it heal more slowly.
2) to go back to the oral surgeon and demand that he remove tooth 13 right this minute so it will stop hurting. THEN have my NTI adjusted around a relatively stable situation. It does not actually cover tooth 13, but it presses against the front and side of tooth 12, among others.
3) to find another dentist, one I can trust, (one close enough and with sufficiently flexible hours that I can get there without sacrificing half a day of vacation time), saying "here, you fix this," and opening my mouth. I realize this is not sensible, but I am so tired of trying to be sensible.
The NTI website lists dentists who have experience with NTIs (and want to be listed on the website. Perhaps a small subset.) There are 6 dentists with the requisite NTI experience and location. Gauging trustworthiness, or even competence, is more of a challenge. Do any of you have experience with:
Charles Seitz of Watertown
Edward Donle of Watertown
Robert Murphy of Arlington
David Rosen of Lexington
Carolyn Schweitzer of Winchester
Robert Henkel of Woburn?
Mentioning laser dentistry on one's website is very popular these days. So is mentioning that one takes dental insurance. That one sterilizes one's equipment is certainly a good thing, but prominent mention on the website is something that might or might not be reassuring. Some of these dentists do oral surgery in-house, some refer elsewhere. One of them advertises (prominently, on the front page) a "dental diet system" that gives me qualms about the practice's focus, and whether their values will be consistent with mine. Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing?
