Life Sucks, why aren't I dead?

[serafina20]

Went to the orthodontist today, hoping to get something done about my teeth. Not only do I know I have TMJ, or sypmtoms of, but my mouth doesn't close because I have an "open bite" which basically means my upper teeth don't close, so there's this huge gap. So, not only does it affect my looks (please, no one who's seen me come in and say I'm good looking; I'm not in the mood), but I can't bite into food, as hederahelix and mistressace can attest after having seen my pathetic attempt to eat sushi last year at BasCon.

Apparently, the only way to fix my mouth is surgery, which I obviously can't do right now because I'm off my parents insurance in February, and won't have a salaried job until September (most likely). The TMJ can be fixed with a mouth guard, but now I'm pissed of at my dentist whom I've been doing to since I was four. He's known me for years. He *had* to have seen that not only do I have a bad tongue thrust, but my mouth snaps when I open it too wide. This ortho saw it within thirty seconds. My dentist *had* to have known. Fuck, the fucking hygenist, the new one, knew, but all she could tell me was to stop chewing gum and not to grind my teeth. So I've been fucked over by a man I trusted, mostly because I've known him for so long, and I've been taught not to complain to him because when I started getting dental work, I was so young, that I figured if there was anything wrong, he'd say.

So, now I'm depressed and weepy, and my stupid school doesn't send our enrollment status through the mail anymore, so I had to go down there to get it, but I forgot my ID and ... life sucks.

I think I'm going to chop my hair off. Short. It will only emphasize my fucked up teeth and my huge nose, but then I won't have to worry about it.

Sorry. Really. I'm just miserable right now.

Comments

Hugs

[mistressace.livejournal.com]

I have bad teeth and a similar nose problem so I know what you mean. The mouth-guard is a good idea, you'll be surprised how much it will affect your sleep patterns. I've been sleeping better ever since I started using mine.

And even if you aren't in the mood to hear this, I think you are lovely.

Hugs

Ace

Re: Hugs

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I should be getting the mouthgaurd within a couple of weeks,which will be good. I'm having comunication problems between school and the insurance company right now, but hopefully that won't hold me up too long.

Thanks for the compliment. :)

[alee-gothphyle.livejournal.com]

I recommend the night-guard if you can get it -- big help for me, and a pretty rapid improvement in symptoms. {{hugs}} I'm sorry you're having trouble -- mouth trouble is bad news, any way you slice it.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I should be getting a mouth guard sometime soon. I'm just waiting for the insurance to okay itk which hopefull won't take too long. Thanks for the hugs!

[hederahelix.livejournal.com]

First of all hugs about the dentist stuff. Stuff like that sucks, big time, and there's really nothing else I can say about that.

but, about the open bite thing. I had an open bite before I had braces, and while two out of three orthodontists suggested surgery (which is a pretty major thing--the breaking the jaw, moving it, and wiring you shit for 4 to 6 weeks, or something), one decided that mine could be corrected with braces and headgear which only had to be worn at night. I know that you can't do anything about it right now, but when you get ready to, you might get a couple of second opinions, because you might be able to correct the bite without surgery after all.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

Well, he did't say surgery was the only option, but before headgear/braces would be successful, I'd have to go to speech therapy to get my tongue thrust corrected. And I know already that the second opinion guy (who I actually called first, but he can't see me until december) will say the same thing, since he sent my sister to speech therapy too. So, yeah. What was a little frustrating, though,was this guy said he woudln't recommend it, "unless you wanted to go hollywood" because it didn't really matter, which A. it *does*, because it's hard to eat and B. just becuase I'm planning on being a teacher, doesnt' mean I couldn't be an actress, right? Look at Michelle Phiffer. ;)

Anyway, thanks for the sane words. :)

[kira29.livejournal.com]

TMJ runs in my family. My dad has it bad enough that if he yawns or opens his mouth too wide without wearing his plate his jaw will (and has)lock open. I've had mine almost do it at Wal-Mart.
On the whole dentist thing. TMJ has not really been recognized as an actual disorder until fairly recently and some dentists still have trouble accepting it. So, it may be that, if your dentist has been doing this for a fairly long time, it may not be something that he would have been able to diagnose when you were younger. I'm not saying he didn't screw up because he should have known something was wrong and tried to fix it, but TMJ is a lot more widely recognized and accepted as real now than it was a few years ago.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my dentist is fairly old fashion. I knew that, but I'm still really frustrated. I feel as if both he and my first orthodontist have done nothing but take my (parent's) money while my teeth stay the same.

Thanks for the comments!