Why Is it so hard to get Doctors to listen?

Ok...Today I'm feeling very frustrated! For about 4-5 months now something has been going on in my mouth (I mean other than my braces stuff etc) I had started having a yucky taste between a couple of my teeth awhile back, and a lot of burning in my front left incisor and canine. I originally went to my ortho about it, who told me I needed to go see my dentist. So, I did. He said he really didn't know what was wrong but that I needed to go see my endo (root canal specialist.) So I did then....he told me I needed a root canal, which I had done. During this time I had suspected that it really had nothing to do with my teeth, and everything to do with my palate expansion. I really felt I had a sinus infection, as I noticed that when I would make suction in my mouth I would feel stuff shoot through my sinuses and into my front teeth area. I asked my doctors about it, saying that I was really prone to sinusitus and that perhaps this was a sinus infection gone awry, or that maybe I had some kind of perferation due to the SARPE. I was told oh..no highly unlikely. During the time between seeing the dentist and endo for my root canal they had me on antibiotics. Saying the yucky taste between my tooth was coming from my bad tooth and once the root canal was done it should clear up. It started to get a bit better while I was one the Augmentin they perscribed but never quite went away.

So, I have the root canal done, the yucky taste doesn't go away, but gets worse. NO one has taken any pictures of my palate at all since having the SARPE done. I again said to my ortho, and OS, that I don't think it has anything to do with my teeth. So knowing how my body behaves with a sinus infection I decided to consult my Ear Nose and Throat doctor. It was a few days before I could get in, so I went to "First Care" and told the doctor my symptoms and that I was pretty sure I had a sinus infection. I told him I took Augmentin for 14 days recently and it got a bit better but then came back. He put me on Bioxin for 14 days.

Monday I went to my ENT....and guess what? They are just about positive that I have a sinus infection of some sort. Within two days of beingon the Bioxin the yucky taste between my teeth has gone away. They have me using nasalcort to shrink my nasal turbinates and allow things to drain, Mucinex to loosen all the secrections up, and of course the Bioxin. They said that it is not uncommon at all for some people to have sinuses that run very close to the roots of ones teeth, and given the type of surgery I had, I could very well have a (fistula) or perferation in my sinus lining or wall that would allow the infection to leach out through an area of my gums or teeth (which is exactly what I had asked all of my other doctors about previously.) My ENT wants to do a full CT scan next Friday after 2 weeks on the meds and see what we can figure out. Things are slowly starting to improve, but I still have a lot of sinus pressure and burning in my front teeth. I have been dealing with this for over 5 months now, and by the time I went to First Care the other day, I was so sick to my stomach with nausea that I could barely walk. This was the final straw for me that it was truly sinus related, as I always get incredibly tired and nauseous when I have one.

Why do doctors just blow people off or give them the run around? I mean I realize that some people are hypochondriacs, but most are not, and probably know their bodies far better then a doctor gives them credit for. At any rate it is just aggravating...mostly I'm pissed that no one has offered to take X-rays not even my oral surgeon who did the freakin surgery! I have to go to a totally separate doctor and request them! Don't you think that is sorta messed up?

Just about Surgery Ready!

So, I had my adjustment today. The appointment turned out to be a very long ordeal, (just like last time) I was there almost 2 hours. They did impressions (which totally suck over braces I might add) they are so much more difficult to get off! I thought she might just yank my whole upper palate out trying to get those things off! LOL...it really wasn't that bad, but wasn't pleasant either. Anyway, we managed to get through that, then once the molds were dry the doctor gave me the news. Seems I'm just about ready...very close....to being ready for surgery. He said the spacing and fit looks great, however, he needs to do a tiny bit more leveling. Said my left side looks great and is fitting together perfectly, however, Due to the fact that I have a bridge on the right hand side and it can't be raised up, my teeth are not touching each other quite enough and there is a bit of a space between them. The ortho pulled off 4 of my brackets this morning and repositioned them. He says he needs to pull my right uppers down just a bit more so they meet my lowers better and that I should be ready for surgery by my next appointment (December 14th.)

He took off my powerchains on top and bottom today, put back the same giant wire on top, gave me a bigger one on the bottom, and a small bright pink powerchain running from my lower bicuspid back to my rear molar. I got to look in the mirror, and brush my teeth without the wires in. I could really see my teeth without all those powerchains and wires and was truly amazed! I think I may just end up with the Julia Roberts smile I had wanted! Woo Hoo! LOL! My teeth looked huge, and so white! It was crazy, but awesome!

I can already feel my teeth moving into there newly assigned position and so far it has not been too terrible. I asked about having the hooks inside my brackets (the ones used for the TPA removed) but the ortho says there is a 50/50 chance that he could have to put the TPA back if things start to move at all and he doesn't want to remove them just yet. So....he put some rubber thingys in the holes to make them slighly less scratchy. It helped a little bit, but not much. Oh well, guess I'm stuck with them. Looks like things are just about there though! Guess that will be my Christmas present.....having my teeth ready for surgery! I'm so excited!

Here are a few pics that really show the changes/difference in my face since SARPE. If you look closely you can see my face looks more fuller/heart shaped as opposed to oval. The apples of my cheeks are larger and more rounded, my smile is wider, and my eyes look more open and bright. Can you see the difference?