*Cat*
09-20-2002, 08:36 PM
I realize we all have different causes and such, but on mine it has basically been determined that a HORRIBLE dentist has caused my otherwise happy and content TMJ muscle to become TMJD.
Is this something that is hard to prove in court? Does anyone have any advice or ideas. I've really been nervous and stressing because I feel like it would be a losing battle, not to mention excessive pain in my jaw from stress.
Cat
Is this something that is hard to prove in court? Does anyone have any advice or ideas. I've really been nervous and stressing because I feel like it would be a losing battle, not to mention excessive pain in my jaw from stress.
Cat
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CrystalM
09-21-2002, 11:54 PM
Cat:
It is sad to say but from my experiance unless you have absuolute proof the dentist was the cause NO. It will cost you thousands of dollars to hire a expert to say it was caused.
Last Oct, I had my wisdom teeth cut out, The DMD who performed the surgey butchered me then would not accept responsabililty, he told me there was nothing wrong with me I needed to keep seeing my nuerologist. Mind you this is after visiting several family doctors a emergency room visit with a Ct scan, gynecologist,due to severe face head and neck pain. I have not been able to chew food for a year and am out thousands of dollars from medical bills to repair the damage he caused. along with days of missed work due to pain. & there is nothing I can do. I have talked with 8 different attorneys. It does not make sense. I am currently taking tylenol 3 for the pain. And I have noticed that stress, really is an evil thing for tmj.
It is sad to say but from my experiance unless you have absuolute proof the dentist was the cause NO. It will cost you thousands of dollars to hire a expert to say it was caused.
Last Oct, I had my wisdom teeth cut out, The DMD who performed the surgey butchered me then would not accept responsabililty, he told me there was nothing wrong with me I needed to keep seeing my nuerologist. Mind you this is after visiting several family doctors a emergency room visit with a Ct scan, gynecologist,due to severe face head and neck pain. I have not been able to chew food for a year and am out thousands of dollars from medical bills to repair the damage he caused. along with days of missed work due to pain. & there is nothing I can do. I have talked with 8 different attorneys. It does not make sense. I am currently taking tylenol 3 for the pain. And I have noticed that stress, really is an evil thing for tmj.
thisstarr
09-22-2002, 01:20 AM
Hi Kat& crystal,
I know how you guys feel!! My tmj started when I had all four of my wistom teeth taken out and had serious problem with it and the dentist ruin me for life. At the time afterwards I didnt know I had tmj, I was told it was just migrane headaches that was giving me all the facal pain. Then I got in a car accident years later and it made things worse :( :mad: I talk to many attorneys and they all said I would not have a case and basically be wasting my money..
I wish you the best of luck and I hope you can sue and win this @%#@%@#$@#$..lol... :) and hopefully make a stand for all of the tmj sufferer out there!
Take care,
Starr
I know how you guys feel!! My tmj started when I had all four of my wistom teeth taken out and had serious problem with it and the dentist ruin me for life. At the time afterwards I didnt know I had tmj, I was told it was just migrane headaches that was giving me all the facal pain. Then I got in a car accident years later and it made things worse :( :mad: I talk to many attorneys and they all said I would not have a case and basically be wasting my money..
I wish you the best of luck and I hope you can sue and win this @%#@%@#$@#$..lol... :) and hopefully make a stand for all of the tmj sufferer out there!
Take care,
Starr
antoni
09-23-2002, 10:55 AM
Hi,
My TMJD problems all started when I had nine microfillings done through a new "drill-less" cavity removal proces called air abrasion. IT's big selling point is that it does multiple teeth at one time(in my case 9 virgin teeth were filled). I was never told of the drawbacks that nine teeth with fillings done "too high" would ruin my bite and be really hard to adjust.
I've seen 8 dentists and 3 prosthodontists and had an "occlusal adjustment" (where they shave the teeth and the fillings down to correct the bite). TO no avail... I suffer TMJD symptoms on and off.
Not only does stress bring it on , but I am in more pain with it from PMS. PMS makes the TMJD symptoms come up much worse.
I talked to different attorneys and unfortunately with dental it's too hard to prove because dentists won't criticize another dentist no matter what. In my case different tricks were used to make it look like my bite was bad before the 9 fillings(which it wasn't) or to cover up that the 9 fillings were not done right. IT was disgusting. I am sure that't why the original dentist did what he did. HE knew he could get away with it!!!!!! I mean most dentists would never do multiple fillings because they know it could ruin your natural bite. BUt he just saw $$$$$$ on each tooth and didn';t care.
My TMJD problems all started when I had nine microfillings done through a new "drill-less" cavity removal proces called air abrasion. IT's big selling point is that it does multiple teeth at one time(in my case 9 virgin teeth were filled). I was never told of the drawbacks that nine teeth with fillings done "too high" would ruin my bite and be really hard to adjust.
I've seen 8 dentists and 3 prosthodontists and had an "occlusal adjustment" (where they shave the teeth and the fillings down to correct the bite). TO no avail... I suffer TMJD symptoms on and off.
Not only does stress bring it on , but I am in more pain with it from PMS. PMS makes the TMJD symptoms come up much worse.
I talked to different attorneys and unfortunately with dental it's too hard to prove because dentists won't criticize another dentist no matter what. In my case different tricks were used to make it look like my bite was bad before the 9 fillings(which it wasn't) or to cover up that the 9 fillings were not done right. IT was disgusting. I am sure that't why the original dentist did what he did. HE knew he could get away with it!!!!!! I mean most dentists would never do multiple fillings because they know it could ruin your natural bite. BUt he just saw $$$$$$ on each tooth and didn';t care.
pennyb
09-25-2002, 09:58 PM
Wow I guess my story is different from the rest of you and i am sorry to hear you are all going through this.
As for me well I didn't start having problems with tmj until I started my antideprssant paxil. It was so strange I just woke up one day and the right side of my jaw was totally stuck open, locked and painful. So i went to see an oralfacial pain specialist who then made me sleepy, temporarely repaired my jaw made me a splint, then sent me home. He actually did an awsome job. Well it's been over two years and so far i have had 1 flap and cartledge repair, 1 replacement of muscle tissue/cartledge/and joint cradle, oh and 2 flushes on my left joint. Right now i am seeing a physical therapist, pain management, jaw surgeon, dentist and all have agreed that my antidepressant PAXIL is causing me to clench and grind so bad that i am tearing my jaw down. They pretty much can't help me until i get off paxil. OH by the way the grinding i am getting from paxil has also caused me to crack two teeth and cause an infection under one of my crowns. So now it's a mission for me to get off paxil so my jaw can get better. BUT guess what i can't, yeah i said i can't, why, because paxil has such severe withdraw problems that i have tried to kill myself on a few occations while trying to wean off. It's been over 1.5 years sincce i have been trying to get of paxil with several doctors behind me. Even my shrink is trying everything to get me off paxil. I am addicted to paxil which is causing my jaw to not be able to heal.
So as you might have guessed yes i am in a lawsuit but not against my doctors or dentists but again the makers of the medication paxil. DUE to their medication I have been through hell on earth and i will be damned if they get away with it. I am sure most of you have heard of the lawsuits against the antidepressant (paxil).
The reason i am telling you all this is because there is a true reason why your tmj is there and why it won't get better. Look at all your medications and see if there is a chance they may cause jaw clenching or teeth grinding. I don't want any of you to give up. If it is a dentist that did this too you well you need to bust your butt to prove it. Trust me all that hard work will pay off in the end and serve justice to the dentist who just saw them dollar signs.
take care everyone, best wishes
As for me well I didn't start having problems with tmj until I started my antideprssant paxil. It was so strange I just woke up one day and the right side of my jaw was totally stuck open, locked and painful. So i went to see an oralfacial pain specialist who then made me sleepy, temporarely repaired my jaw made me a splint, then sent me home. He actually did an awsome job. Well it's been over two years and so far i have had 1 flap and cartledge repair, 1 replacement of muscle tissue/cartledge/and joint cradle, oh and 2 flushes on my left joint. Right now i am seeing a physical therapist, pain management, jaw surgeon, dentist and all have agreed that my antidepressant PAXIL is causing me to clench and grind so bad that i am tearing my jaw down. They pretty much can't help me until i get off paxil. OH by the way the grinding i am getting from paxil has also caused me to crack two teeth and cause an infection under one of my crowns. So now it's a mission for me to get off paxil so my jaw can get better. BUT guess what i can't, yeah i said i can't, why, because paxil has such severe withdraw problems that i have tried to kill myself on a few occations while trying to wean off. It's been over 1.5 years sincce i have been trying to get of paxil with several doctors behind me. Even my shrink is trying everything to get me off paxil. I am addicted to paxil which is causing my jaw to not be able to heal.
So as you might have guessed yes i am in a lawsuit but not against my doctors or dentists but again the makers of the medication paxil. DUE to their medication I have been through hell on earth and i will be damned if they get away with it. I am sure most of you have heard of the lawsuits against the antidepressant (paxil).
The reason i am telling you all this is because there is a true reason why your tmj is there and why it won't get better. Look at all your medications and see if there is a chance they may cause jaw clenching or teeth grinding. I don't want any of you to give up. If it is a dentist that did this too you well you need to bust your butt to prove it. Trust me all that hard work will pay off in the end and serve justice to the dentist who just saw them dollar signs.
take care everyone, best wishes
Elaine
09-26-2002, 02:12 AM
I have a personal friend who had back surgery and caught a staph infection "while" in the hospital. She was in so much pain, screaming, yelling, whatever. They didn't want to listen to her so overmedicated her.I went to visit and she couldn't even speak!!!! Trying to grab at me,(hallucinating) drooling like a dog. I told her husband if he wanted to keep his wife around he better get her out of that hospital. They took her by ambulance to another hospital in a large town and the doctors said she was overdosed and ready to cash out. Her spine was horribly damaged by the staph infection and she could not find one attorney to take this on. I think it is totally sick the medical malpractice that goes on and nobody can do a damn thing about it!!! No.... I doubt we would win any case against a dentist.
Elaine
Elaine
*Cat*
09-26-2002, 07:43 PM
Wow!
Thank you all for your responses. It is just so depressing.... But I appreciate your honesty!
I realized today that these dentists seem to kind of be like a fraternity...meaning they REFUSE to say anything bad or even judgemental about what another dentist did. I know one of you mentioned this above.....Why is that??? The money we pay out to these people is so expensive, yet they can't stand on their own two feet and say "Well, yes *maybe* that filling was innapropriate" or "I have to admit, he did drill a little too much of your tooth" etc etc.
Ugh. I wish with all my heart that I could sue and win against the guy who did this to me. But, I do feel I would be stressing out and wasting money. IF I try, I will let you all know. I hope someday TMJ disorder is known enough that people respect it as a true "disease" of sorts.
I'm kind of rambling, so I apologize. Big hugs to all of you out there suffering with this.
Cat :(
Thank you all for your responses. It is just so depressing.... But I appreciate your honesty!
I realized today that these dentists seem to kind of be like a fraternity...meaning they REFUSE to say anything bad or even judgemental about what another dentist did. I know one of you mentioned this above.....Why is that??? The money we pay out to these people is so expensive, yet they can't stand on their own two feet and say "Well, yes *maybe* that filling was innapropriate" or "I have to admit, he did drill a little too much of your tooth" etc etc.
Ugh. I wish with all my heart that I could sue and win against the guy who did this to me. But, I do feel I would be stressing out and wasting money. IF I try, I will let you all know. I hope someday TMJ disorder is known enough that people respect it as a true "disease" of sorts.
I'm kind of rambling, so I apologize. Big hugs to all of you out there suffering with this.
Cat :(
CLC
09-27-2002, 01:21 PM
It would be suicide for me to sue, the reason, my husbands career is in the dental field and If I sued them, his career would be gone. Plus, how can one be 100% sure that the dentist did indeed cause it. The dental industry is very small. They have all kinds of meetings and talk to one another. That is why one will not say something about another. I'm praying now that the dentist I have started going to will be able to correct the filling I have that I believe is causing this. This dentist adjusted it a couple of weeks ago, but it did not help. It may have made it worse. I'm afraid that maybe it is too low now because of all the adjustments. I will be seeing the dentist in a few days and am going to ask that the filling placed by another dentist be removed and replaced to start over so to say. Pray for me that it works. I don't need any more pain in my body. Thanks.
Elaine
09-27-2002, 03:04 PM
CLC,
If a person didn't have TMJ problems prior to getting dental work done, where "else" would it have came from. It is a known fact that TMJD can be caused from dental work, opening too wide while having teeth pulled, filled, filed or whatever! Too much pressure on the TMJ will cause the ligaments to stretch too far or can also displace the disc, then you either develop the click or lock altogether. Also orthodontic work has caused TMJD in "some" patients. If your husband knows his profession, he should also be aware of this fact. He may be the best person to ask.
Take care,
Elaine
[This message has been edited by Elaine (edited 09-27-2002).]
If a person didn't have TMJ problems prior to getting dental work done, where "else" would it have came from. It is a known fact that TMJD can be caused from dental work, opening too wide while having teeth pulled, filled, filed or whatever! Too much pressure on the TMJ will cause the ligaments to stretch too far or can also displace the disc, then you either develop the click or lock altogether. Also orthodontic work has caused TMJD in "some" patients. If your husband knows his profession, he should also be aware of this fact. He may be the best person to ask.
Take care,
Elaine
[This message has been edited by Elaine (edited 09-27-2002).]
CLC
09-27-2002, 06:17 PM
Thanks Elaine for your response. My husband is not a dentist and does not work in a dental office or with patients in any way. There are many facets of the dental industry and he would not know about that stuff. Thanks anyway.
pookieiscool
10-02-2002, 01:58 AM
My TMJD is caused from a strange snow tubing accident in which I hit the back of my neck on an electrical pole as a result of an employee failing to secure a latch on my snow tube. My TMJ specialist is great as he said from the beginning that he would go to bat for me and write a letter stating that I didn't have any problems before the accident, etc...
My attorney who is handling my case has no problem trying to prove my TMJ as said before, I had no problems prior to it. Something to think about! ;)
Susie
My attorney who is handling my case has no problem trying to prove my TMJ as said before, I had no problems prior to it. Something to think about! ;)
Susie
antoni
10-02-2002, 12:54 PM
HI CLC,
In your case it's just one tooth -- imagine having nine that are all off in some way -- "high" in some spots too "short" in others as with me. A real dental nightmare come true. I swear with white fillings the dentists can;t see what they are doing.
All I do now is say well I have teeth I just try not to feel them only when absolutely necessary -- when eating.
Also I had a nice full bite with my front teeth almost an overbite now it is like "sunken in" because the front teeth have shifted in. Of course they could recommend me to an orthodontist for braces but we all can predict how that will help things.
Pennyb, I have a friend that has ground her teeth down to stumps and she has been on the Paxil for a few years so you are not alone. Good luck in your lawsuit.
Good luck
[This message has been edited by antoni (edited 10-02-2002).]
[This message has been edited by antoni (edited 10-02-2002).]
In your case it's just one tooth -- imagine having nine that are all off in some way -- "high" in some spots too "short" in others as with me. A real dental nightmare come true. I swear with white fillings the dentists can;t see what they are doing.
All I do now is say well I have teeth I just try not to feel them only when absolutely necessary -- when eating.
Also I had a nice full bite with my front teeth almost an overbite now it is like "sunken in" because the front teeth have shifted in. Of course they could recommend me to an orthodontist for braces but we all can predict how that will help things.
Pennyb, I have a friend that has ground her teeth down to stumps and she has been on the Paxil for a few years so you are not alone. Good luck in your lawsuit.
Good luck
[This message has been edited by antoni (edited 10-02-2002).]
[This message has been edited by antoni (edited 10-02-2002).]