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42 YEARS OLD AND STILL GOING TO THE ORTHODONTIST. File that under #whitepeopleproblems.
Anyway, I have my new "appliance" and it's like being a teenager again. Sigh. Gotta wear it >20h a day for a year, then nightly for the rest of my life. Unfortunately my bite is really screwed up, which causes me to grind my teeth, and this has resulted in degenerative joint disease. Wearing a $2,000 arc of transparent plastic over my upper teeth will most likely halt the progress of the disorder and allow the bone to remodel itself into a more suitable conformation. Insurance coverage is uncertain; it might cover half the cost, probably somewhat less.
It was, at first, intensely painful, but on recognizing something was wrong I took it back for further adjustment. With one little swipe of the dremel, it's at least comfortable, though not actually pleasant. Despite looking at many diagrams and X-rays I still don't totally understand what this is supposed to do. But all the professionals whose fingers I've tasted say I Must Have It Or Else.
Anyway, I have my new "appliance" and it's like being a teenager again. Sigh. Gotta wear it >20h a day for a year, then nightly for the rest of my life. Unfortunately my bite is really screwed up, which causes me to grind my teeth, and this has resulted in degenerative joint disease. Wearing a $2,000 arc of transparent plastic over my upper teeth will most likely halt the progress of the disorder and allow the bone to remodel itself into a more suitable conformation. Insurance coverage is uncertain; it might cover half the cost, probably somewhat less.
It was, at first, intensely painful, but on recognizing something was wrong I took it back for further adjustment. With one little swipe of the dremel, it's at least comfortable, though not actually pleasant. Despite looking at many diagrams and X-rays I still don't totally understand what this is supposed to do. But all the professionals whose fingers I've tasted say I Must Have It Or Else.
