Two hours later, he’d only looked in my mouth once,
and it was to examine the edges of my tongue. Instead,
Dr. Hang asked me a series of questions that I thought unrelated to orthodontia. Did I have sleep apnea (yes), did I have low energy (yes), was I pre-diabetic (yes) and so on. He palpated areas of my face, jaw and throat that made me wince with surprised pain. He sat me in a chair while an MRI rotated around my skull providing a 360 ° view of my head and throat.

I expected the prescription for braces. But I was unprepared for the rest: facial reconstructive surgery. In Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Hang’s diagnosis was so unanticipated and his recommendation felt so radical, it was impossible for me to absorb the information. Why couldn’t I just get braces and call it a day?

Dr. Carson patiently helped me piece the picture together. It assembled itself slowly. It was a frightening portrait of me, and I didn’t want to look at it. I required braces to properly position my teeth, but braces couldn’t repair the years of wear and tear. Crowns and veneers would restore my teeth to healthier condition, but couldn’t address the severe, underlying condition that had led to my current, sorry state.

Though I looked “normal”, I had congenital malformations that included jaws positioned in a way that narrowed my trachea to less than ¼ of normal size. “Your trachea is smaller than the width of a straw, Dr. Hang had remonstrated during my consultation.

My airways were too narrow to let in sufficient oxygen for my body. The physical stress this caused manifested as I aged. I was always exhausted. I could nap for hours, then sleep soundly through the night, but never feel rested. Because I was tired, I ate constantly to keep myself energized. My weight ballooned: I’d gained 50 lbs. in less than five years and the numbers kept creeping higher. The weight gain first caused and then exacerbated my sleep apnea. Excess throat tissue (yes! Your throat can gain weight!) crowded my already narrow trachea. I chalked it up to an unlucky set of genetics and aging.

Without a doubt, had not two very special professionals graced my life, I would now weigh more than 200 pounds, inject daily insulin, sleep my weekends away, and oh yes . . . drop my teeth into a glass as I crawled into bed.

What happened instead is that after nearly two years of deliberations with Drs. Hang and Carson, I traveled to Dallas. There, Dr. Larry Wolford, a world-recognized ENT surgeon, normalized my air passages in a nine-hour surgery. Among 10 other procedures, he broke both my upper and lower jaws, moved them forward, removed my uvula, and reduced the size of my tongue.

But the fun didn’t stop there. Though my jaws were now properly positioned, my teeth were more stressed because they were in a new location. Dr. Carson and I had dissected and re-dissected my alternatives for avoiding dentures. The only option that offered long-term dental health was a full mouth restoration.

During the past year, I’ve spent more time with Dr. Carson and Jenny than anyone else in my life. Dr. Carson uses cutting edge, neuromuscular dentistry to locate the most relaxed position for my jaws. To maintain that ideal state, she fine-tunes the shape and elevation of my teeth. She works in dimensions of less than a millimeter, yet it makes leagues of difference in how it feels when I bite. Her precision and patience are grounded in fascinating science. Happy jaws, happy teeth, happy me.

And, as you can see, I also look different. Though I live in an area of the world known as ground zero for cosmetic procedures, I was happy with my pre-surgery appearance. If cosmetic appeal had been the only reason to pursue surgery and restoration — I wouldn’t have done it.  My sole motivation was health – appearance wasn’t on my radar.

Which is not to say that I wasn’t picky about the outcome of my restoration. I was adamant that I wanted natural looking and naturally colored teeth. (OK, I admit it; I’m not native to this planet.) I wanted people to look at me and either not notice a difference or wonder Did she just get her hair cut? Or maybe it’s new glasses? Wait, I know . . . her braces came off!

And that is exactly what happened, over and over. The real test case came with my parents after my upper teeth were restored. After chatting for about an hour I asked if they’d noticed anything different about me. They both stared at me, puzzled. Then, my ultra-observant Mom laughed “Oh! I know what it is. Your new glasses look great, honey.”

Twelve hours after being wheeled into surgery, I drifted back into awareness. It’s over . . . it’s finally over, I don’t have to think about it anymore I thought with relief.  And then I held my breath. Did the surgery help? Will I notice a difference? I hesitated, unsure of what I wanted the answer to be. Cautiously, I inhaled. With the tiniest movement of my abdomen, air instantly flooded into my nostrils, rushed down my throat and settled deep into my lungs. My closed eyes snapped open, Oh!!! I’m drowning! In oxygen! Another breath confirmed that indeed, breathing had become an entirely new experience for me. This, I marveled, is how breathing is supposed to feel.

For days, I resented any intrusion that took my attention away from the novel sensation of moving air effortlessly in and out of my lungs. I realized that I’d spent my whole life struggling to perform the most basic of functions . . . breathing. I alternated between sadness for the past and feeling reborn into a new body.

At this point, you rightly may be wondering what this story has to do with Westlake Dental Arts and dentistry.

Well, actually . . . everything. Welcome to the new age of dentistry.

My never-in-a-gazillion-years-would-I-have-expected-this journey started three years ago at a dental examination. Dr. Carson sat back in her chair, her face concerned and her voice firm. “Susan, if we don’t correct your bite you may lose teeth and be looking at implants or dentures in as soon as five years.”

Literally, my jaw dropped. I’d never before heard the words “bad bite” — much less dentures — directed at my mouth. How could this be? I wasn’t anywhere near denture age. Horrified, I envisioned myself sleeping with my teeth resting a nearby glass of water.

Dr. Carson explained that my teeth were eroded in ways that indicated the damage was due to years of clenching and grinding my teeth. (I clench and grind my teeth???) My front teeth were the most fragile. The constant pressure had worn the edges so thin they tended to chip when I used my electronic toothbrush.

Because I’m a scientist and fascinated with physiology, I quizzed Dr. Carson. How did she know I clenched my teeth if I wasn’t aware of it? Why was I clenching? How could I stop it? Were dentures inevitable?

Dr. Carson exhaustively answered each question, delving into facial anatomy, musculature, and the mechanics of biting. I knew just enough to recognize her diagnosis was scientifically solid. To my relief, the solution seemed comfortingly innocuous “I’d like you to see Dr. Hang for an orthodontic evaluation.”

Braces, I thought, that’s not a problem. I made an appointment for the next day.

I expected Dr. Hang to look in my mouth, declare “braces”, and we’d wrap things up in 15 minutes…

Check back  for part two!

White composite and porcelain restorations are to silver fillings what CDs are to vinyl records. Old amalgam/mercury/silver fillings did the job for the time they were needed, but white, contemporary composites and porcelains are also long-lasting and durable, and they’re much better looking!

How can you benefit from the newest-generation of invisible filling materials?

• Smile with confidence! Fillings match your own teeth, even at the back of your mouth;
• Smile with assurance! Your tooth is repaired with the removal of less healthy tooth enamel;
• Smile with strength! Composites and porcelains bond to enamel to help prevent breaking and insulate from       temperature changes. This strengthens teeth and reduces the risk of tooth cracks due to the expansion and contraction properties of amalgam;
• Smile with security! Composites and porcelains have a more accurate fit which effectively seals out bacteria;

Did you know that over time, silver amalgam fillings can deteriorate and should be replaced? Let’s talk about concealing, once and for all, your “dental history” with newer materials. It can usually be done in only one or two visits, and because your silver fillings could be upwards of 15 years old, your insurer may assist with replacement costs.