Seeing is Believing

Brenda (name changed) was in to see me today, and we started fabrication of a new denture for her. She had previously been having severe facial pain, headaches, muscle aches, and was unable to get comfort even during her sleeping hours. Today Brenda is pain free, and ready to anxiously receive the smile of her dreams.

Three months ago, Brenda came into my office, and I could tell by her negative attitude and the deep anguish lines carved into her face, that she was in great pain. She explained that she had seen several doctors and two dentists trying to find a solution to her facial pain. Her doctors had tried putting her on some medication for headaches, and she got some minimal relief from that. She didn't like the way the medications made her feel, though. The dentists she saw recommended that they might be able to alleviate her pain through making her a new set of dentures, but she was not convinced that was the solution.

Understanding that the dentists she had seen were good dentists, and probably right, I immediately told her that this may be the needed solution for her. My approach to the situation was slightly different, though. I knew that she needed new dentures, and that her old dentures had worn excessively to the point that her nose and chin were closer together. Some people refer to this as "overclosure". This will occasionally cause sore jaws, ringing in the ears, and other facial pain problems. Before I would fabricate a new set of dentures for Brenda, I was sure to let her know that I couldn't guarantee that the problem would be solved, but that I would be able to let her see for herself if increasing the thickness of the dentures would make a difference.

At a subsequent appointment, I placed a temporary liner in her dentures, but did not alter her denture at all. If this wouldn't have helped, the liner could be stripped out, and she could continue with her dentures as they were. In this case, there was no risk for me or for her. Two weeks later, Brenda returned and was elated to tell me that she no longer had any facial pain. Confident that this overclosure was her ultimate problem, and after two more confirmation visits, she is well on her way to recovery.

Our paradigms can sometimes hinder us from accepting the cause of our problems. Many times we look for a complex solution to a simple problem. Allowing Brenda to see for herself that her problem was being caused by her dentures, allowed us to continue on with confidence. I didn't have to be a better or smarter dentist to treat Brenda, I just had to listen to her needs and help her find her way around the mental block that kept her from getting better.