Dentist Wichita, KS

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During the spring of 2004, I started developing pain in my left jaw when I was chewing or biting. It became so severe at times that I could only eat very soft food. Chewy food, such as steak, and very crunchy food, such as hard crackers were impossible to eat. Because I was pregnant with my third child at the time, however, I decided to wait until after the baby was born to see a dentist or doctor about it.

In November of 2004, when the baby was about three months old, I began having a metallic taste in my mouth. It was so strong that it was worse that the jaw pain I had been experiencing. I did go to my regular doctor about the metallic taste and while I was there also told her about the jaw pain. She, and all the doctors I subsequently saw, assumed the jaw pain and the metallic taste were related. As it turned out, they were not. The metallic taste was caused by a sinus infection, but it took many months and many misdiagnoses to arrive at this conclusion.

I did discuss TMJ with my family doctor on my first visit, but she pressed on my left jaw and because that did not cause pain, she said it absolutely was not TMJ. She said the pain and metallic taste were most likely caused by an abscessed tooth, prescribed antibiotics and referred me to a dentist. The dentist in turn prescribed another antibiotic. When this did not solve my problems, I subsequently went back to my regular doctor, my dentist, a doctor of internal medicine, and an ear, nose and throat doctor, none of whom could figure out what was wrong with me. I had two CT scans and a bone scan and was prescribed a total of eight different antibiotics during that winter.

Finally, I was referred to a neurologist who ordered an MRI to rule out MS, which sometimes causes a metallic taste as one of its symptoms. Thankfully, I did not have MS, but the MRI showed that I had a severe sinus infection, which had been causing the metallic taste al those months. So, in March of 2005 my family doctor prescribed the correct antibiotic and I got rid of the sinus infection and the metallic taste.

However, I still had the jaw pain, now accompanied by jaw stiffness, inability to open my mouth fully, and grinding and popping in my jaw joint. Denise, who works for Dr. Baba, attends the same church as me and she heard my problems and began asking me a little about what had been going on. After hearing my symptoms, she said she thought it really might be TMJ, and that I should make an appointment with Dr. Baba. Dr. Baba did a thorough exam and ordered an MRI of my jaw joints, and sure enough, TMJ is what has been causing my jaw pain all these months. Dr. Baba put me in my first bite splint about July and it has made all the difference. The pain is completely gone, I can eat a normal diet, my mouth opens fully, and the grinding and popping are greatly reduced. I am now moving to my second bite splint and am grateful that this treatment is bringing a final resolution to my jaw problems.