"I was aware that my teeth had suffered significant wear and flattening over the years. I had been to several dentists who had told me that I was a bruxer and that the flattening of my teeth was due to aging and grinding of my teeth and that it was just something I would have to live with. I was also suffering from chronic locomotive type headaches that would completely debilitate me. I ended up loosing several back upper molars due to fractures and breakage. I had a surgeon place four implants to replace my upper back molars but started having problems immediately on my upper left side. To make a long story short, I ended up having the implants placed twice on my left side and a total of eight surgeries in that same area only to finally have them removed. I had bone grafts placed in the failed implant area three times. They took bone from my chin and from my hip. I was told that the reason the implants kept failing was my bone was infected. My sinus was perforated during one of the implant surgeries. No one every told me that my bite might have something to due with the failure of the implants on my left side and the extreme amount of bone loss around my implants on my upper right.
After going through all the surgeries, I still wanted my teeth to look better and one of my friends had just gotten her mouth done by Dr. Rayl and she referred me to him. He explained the process of comprehensive diagnosis and taught me about other possible causes for my tooth wear and why it was so important to have a functional biologic bite that would help protect my remaining implants, teeth, and jaw joints. He explained to me that my tooth wear was a sign of pathology and that many people my age exist with practically no signs of tooth wear. He said we would use a model of health to rehabilitate my mouth and not base my treatment on just a reaction to pathology. This made perfect sense to me and I wondered why no other dentists had ever explained it to me.
We proceeded to obtain a comprehensive diagnosis and organized a treatment plan that would restore my chewing system back to health. The original form of my teeth was restored after my jaw joints had been stabilized. My headaches completely disappeared during MAGO therapy and in my provisional restorations. I can't believe the changes that have taken place in my face as part of my dental treatment. Dr. Rayl says it is due to my cranial nerves working properly again. I don't know anything about cranial nerves, but I do know that my face muscles are relaxed and comfortable and my friends say I don't even look like the same person. I've been asked if I've had a facelift or other plastic surgery but I just tell them my Bioesthetic dentist did it. They can't believe that by fixing my bite my face could change so much!
I'm just thankful because all I wanted was pretty teeth. I knew something was wrong but I didn't realize my whole chewing system was such a mess. I had no idea how it was all connected. I still can't believe it!"
- Sheree Landers
"My husband was doubtful that he could help me and balked at the price, but I was on a mission and fought hard for what I knew was going to be the first ray of hope I had seen of getting back to normal - or at least near normal function of my jaw.
When I first came to Dr. Rayl's office, I had been taking, on average, about 800mg of Ibuprofen 2-3 times every day for an extended period of time (we're talking years here). I was experiencing upset stomach as a result and when my Primary Care Physician got wind of how much I had been taking he switched me to arthritis strength Tylenol - about 1300mg 2-3 times a day.
X-rays showed that my jaw joint condyle on the right side had developed abnormalities and the disc was all but destroyed. A cyst had formed on the head of my right condyle. It was about this time that my memory was jogged concerning my diving accident as a young girl. I started to wonder if that might have been the start of all of my jaw and headache problems.
Dr. Rayl took me through what he terms the natural biologic design for how teeth and jaw are supposed to work together. Being a firm believer in biology I was all ears to listen to how the process of getting back to what nature intended for our mouths, jaw joints and digestive systems to function normally would come about. Dr. Rayl took the time to thoroughly walk me through the entire process and helped me understand all that it would take to complete the process of restoring jaw function. After talking it over with my husband (who was not present with me at the initial consultation - which I highly recommend), we decided to enter into the 'diagnostic phase' of the process. This requires MRI, CT scan, having a MAGO to wear 24 hours a day, etc. The diagnostic phase lasted over 9 months for my case, which was labeled a 'Level 4' case.
My jaw began to stabilize within the first 2 weeks of wearing the MAGO. I had to learn what and what not to eat during those first few weeks and months. I was happiest and had the least amount of pain when I ate the softest of foods. I kept baby food jars in the cupboard for emergencies in case there was nothing else to eat in the house at the time. (They make pretty good 'casseroles' if you mix them with just enough salt, butter and rice :). I slowly experimented with tougher foods as time progressed. My OBI dentist made weekly to bi-weekly adjustments on the MAGO over the 9 month period until finally one day he said 'You're showing signs of stability!' At this point in time, my mouth had become accustomed to the position the MAGO had put it in. If you took the MAGO out and asked me to bring the teeth together - only 1 or 2 teeth actually touched. In order to swallow properly I had to bring all of my teeth together (without the MAGO in) which is what was putting my jaw out of joint and causing much of the pain.
The next phase is what I am in right now. I am having all of my teeth prepared and repositioned with biologic form crowns to match what the MAGO was doing for me. I have new tooth surfaces that meet correctly top and bottom, I have highs and lows of normal teeth that can grind and chew. I can swallow without jaw pain. I look great and have made many of my friends envious of my new smile. With the MAGO I was at about 60 percent jaw function (eating was an adventure). But now that I have my temporary new teeth I can honestly say I have reached about 80 percent jaw function. (A 40 percent improvement from where I started). I will probably never be 100 percent, but I am so happy with what I have today. My contentment level is at 90 percent. A full mouth satisfying yawn is all that is missing. I thank God that there are OBI trained dentists out there that have the knowledge to properly diagnose and treat patients like myself."
- Rachelle Steele
"I have been a dental technician since 1976. I learned how to do cosmetic veneers from Da Vinci dental studio in 1983. I never thought I would need them. People started to notice my worn front teeth in the mid 1980's.
I was talked into getting veneers to fix my short worn teeth in 1988. In the beginning hey looked pretty good, but within a couple of years they started to chip and breakdown at the edges. I was concerned because I try to take good care of my teeth. I new something was happening to my bite. I went to different dentists looking for an answer. I was told it was okay and just a normal part of the aging process. Then I met an OBI doctor and I learned that tooth wear was an indication that something was indeed changing in my chewing system. He guided me through a diagnostic process to find out what my options were.
He then helped me decide which was best for me and we proceeded to follow that plan. I couldn't believe how much easier it was for me to chew. I was really surprised at the comments from people who knew me about the change in my face. They would ask 'have you lost weight?' and always comment that I looked younger and how nice my teeth looked. My wife no longer elbows me in the night because I am grinding my teeth so loud that I'm keeping her awake.
I was even surprised at the difference in the pictures before I started treatment and after I finished. I now understand why this treatment could last the rest of my life not just 2-5 years, my chewing system has been restored. Thanks to my OBI dentist for teaching me what a comprehensive diagnosis is all about and understanding what I needed to have beautiful teeth that work efficiently."
- JD Henderson
"My life has changed! I was introduced to Bioesthetic dentistry by a good friend and colleague. I was concerned about the flatness and spacing of my teeth and some muscle discomfort, which all seemed to be getting worse. As a teenager I had minimal dental work done with the exception of orthodontics.
My OBI dentist was able to explain to me the causes of tooth wear and muscle pain. He showed me how nature meant my teeth and jaws to function. Why would you not use healthy, biological, functional dental systems as the model for dental treatment? This is one of the first times a dental or medical professional spoke with me about causes before the solution. How can something be fixed and expected to last if the cause is not known?
After the MAGO treatment, the cause of my wear, spacing, and muscle pain was revealed and the muscle pain was gone. My Bioesthetic dentist then restored my teeth to their proper biological length and function in the most conservative way possible. The fantastic thing about teeth that are natural and biological is that the esthetics is awesome! My teeth look wonderful, they function like they are supposed to and my muscles are not in any pain.
I will forever be in the deepest gratitude to my OBI trained dentist. It has affected me so much that I am now on the same journey to better help my patients. Thanks for changing my life!"
- Todd Steinmetz, DDS