I had severe TMJ and it got so bad I couldn't sleep at night. I started my procedure with Dr Lauson and within 3 months my pain was gone. He did a great job and the staff is wonderful. I can now sleep on my sides without my head hurting and finally sleep all night.
I have been in treatment here over a year now for a TMJ orthodontic plan. After being in a car accident that injured my teeth and jaw, I avoided orthodontics for over a decade for fear of worse tmj headaches...a previous consult only said 'itll get worse before it gets better ' in response to my concern -what a jerky thing! Here they are comprehensive in their treatment and put me at ease that Dr. Lauson had solutions to both my orthodontic and TMJ needs hand in hand. That has proved true and my headaches are much better. I also can't have enough about the team here! They are all consistently welcoming, helpful, friendly and kind in accommodating my needs as a patient. This has been true when I've needed to get in quickly due to complications a handful of times. I was skeptical at all the 5 stars reviews and wondered at how true and great they were...they really are wonderful here and do stand out above any previous medical experience I've known. Yay!
Before coming to Aurora Ortho & TMJ, I was suffering from TMD and I knew it would only get worse. But thanks to the excellent car of Dr. Lauson and his team, my TMD symptoms have disappeared! I would highly recommend this practice to anyone, whether you are seeking TMD relief or just would like a straighter smile.
Would not recommend! Ruined my teeth and bite and charged me a fortune. So much so, I had to have crowns at great expense to fix my bite which was worsened by his treatment. I would still be in treatment if I had not ended it. I was almost 3 years in with worse problems than I started with.
Correction of the results of traditional orthodontics. He does functional orthodontics which means he takes the entire face into account not just the teeth. He will reverse the retraction that was done after extraction of teeth. Extraction of teeth for braces causes underdevelopment of the entire lower half of the face, stunting it's growth with steel. Functional orthodontics can staighten teeth without extractions, or, As in my case , attempt to expand the arch again, allowing your lower face to develop the way it should have.
To improve the appearance of my smile
Find a dentist/orthodontist who has many years (over 10) in treating TMJ Dysfunction (TMD) 1. Fix the TMD first, 2. Then orthodontics, but this should include Functional Facial Orthopedics (Jaw widening) and eliminate the need for extracting any teeth.
Although it is difficult to access your situation with just the front photos you have provided, it may be possible to widen your upper jaw (we have successfully done this for thousands of adults) to give you a much broader smile, with straight teeth. Other orthodontists may recommend removal of first bicuspid teeth to reduce your protrusion. This can have other detrimental effects including breathing and tongue restrictions, so i personally do not recommend this approach. Good luck with your search for answers.
Underdevelopment of the upper jaw is the cause of almost all malocclusions (crooked teeth, overbites, underbites) With an underdeveloped upper jaw teeth can tilt forward causing the protrusion. Functional facial orthopedics can solve these types of problems by widening the upper jaw and pushing forward the pre-maxilla (front part of the upper jaw) This can create new bone structure and allow teeth to be moved with braces or Invisalign into more ideal positions, including the correction of the protruding teeth.
Almost all malocclusions are the result of an underdeveloped upper jaw. This is certainly the case here. This deficiency should be corrected first, then aligners or braces can fix the alignment of the teeth. Without doing this first will result in an undesirable long term result. This includes instability of the alignment, upper airway issues with possible later obstructive sleep apnea, possible TMJ dysfunction and even spinal alignment issues. Extractions as a compromise to expansion should not be considered. For further information please see my book Straight Talk about Crooked Teeth available through Amazon.com
First of all, you do have a beauty that with proper treatment will be unleashed. Your photos do not show all that is necessary to fully evaluate your situation, but I can shed some light on the type of treatment that we would recommend. You mentioned crossbite (I assume left side) and TMJ Dysfunction that I would suspect would also be on the left. You have an underdeveloped upper jaw with teeth that are ‘trapping’ the lower jaw into a retrusive position. To properly treat your situation, functional facial orthopedics would be needed prior to braces or Invisalign. Our treatment would be expansion of the upper jaw to make it wider (correcting the crossbite) and come more forward. This would allow your lower jaw to come more forward to correct your TMJ dysfunction and facial asymmetry. Then braces or Invisalign would correct your bite completing a beautiful result that would give you a much improved facial profile with stronger lower jaw. I hope this is helpful. Good luck in finding the right doctor. Many do not have experience in this area (of orthopedic restructuring of the face). You might reference my book Straight Talk about Crooked Teeth for further information.
