TMJ and Headache Treatment

Ben – Civil Engineer

"I’m from the Harrisburg area and I travel about an hour and a half to see Dr. Winans. I think it is well worth it. I had some experience with professionals in the dental industry that left me wondering why I was going to them. I was having severe problems with my bite, it was shifting and they didn’t know what to do with me. Biting into food, chewing sandwiches, just didn’t work. I would bite into a hamburger and the lettuce and tomatoes would come right out the front. I got bounced around from dentist to dentist from orthodontist to oral surgeon, and no one knew what to do. This happened very suddenly over the span of a few months. I’m only 27 years old and did not want to live my life like this. I researched this on my own and that is how I found Dr. Winans.

I was very impressed with Dr. Winans and his staff. When I called and talked to Desiree, I was very surprised at how compassionate she was and it really made me feel like this was the right place to go. When I came in for my first visit, I was asked an array of health-related questions. That is when all my issues came out and were clarified. I didn’t believe I had any pain related to my bite. I had significant pain in my back that I thought was from a canoeing incident. I also had ringing in my ears that had been a persistent problem. When lying in bed trying to sleep my ears would ring and my back would hurt. I was never well rested but I thought it was all unrelated. I was having horrible cracking in my jaw, dozens of times a day. It was so loud you could hear it across the room.

Dr. Winans diagnosed me with TMJ which is a serious, progressive condition. Being a Neuromuscular Dentist, Dr. Winans was able to help me with Neuromuscular Reconstruction. Dr. Winans told me he could develop a stronger bite by using an orthotic that would be molded to my bite. It would help to realign my jaw and relax the temporomandibular joint back to its ideal place. The first day I put the orthotic in, my jaw stopped cracking instantly. I kept it in 24 hours, seven days a week. Two days later I slept through the night for the first time in several years. I felt like a different person. My back pain diminished and went away. Now I am completely pain free! It took only a few months. I took my first run in nine years the other week! And I smile more now too.

Neuromuscular Dentistry is on the cutting edge and is absolutely the way to go if you want to improve your condition."

Elizabeth – Social Worker

"I was in a lot of pain for 3 years. I had a tooth that was broken. I had jaw pain, severe ear pain, ringing and constant noise in my ears, even facial swelling. I suffered with those symptoms for 3 years. I’d had a lot of tests done. I even had my adenoids removed, thinking that was impacting the ear pain. None of that did anything for the ear pain or any of the other symptoms. I was taking Advil constantly, at least several times a day. I was taking so much that I’d try not to take it in the evenings or on the weekends or holidays to give myself a break.

I heard Dr. Winans on the radio and also read some of his newspaper ads. A friend of my mother’s was one of Dr. Winans’ current patients, so I talked with her. She had seen Dr. Winans and had very successful treatment. She told me how satisfied she was with the work.
So I called and I came in for a consultation. I described my symptoms, how long I had been suffering with them and some things that had been suggested or done, all to no avail. Dr. Winans said he knew what was wrong and that he could take care of it. And he certainly did.

Dr. Winans placed temporaries on my teeth, and I had them for several months while we made adjustments to perfect the alignment. As the weeks went along, I had less and less pain. When he placed the final veneers, I had very little pain. It took me some time to adjust to my new teeth – they’re a bit bigger than my natural teeth to help with alignment – but it was a happy time, because they’re so pretty! My new teeth are so much nicer than my natural teeth.
Today, I’m absolutely pain free. There’s no ringing in my ears, no noise, no jaw pain. It’s been remarkable. It’s amazing how this treatment helped me back to things that I use to enjoy. I wasn’t swimming or doing many of the activities I enjoyed because I afraid it would make things worse. I was very inactive because I would have a lot of pain and not sleep well at night.

I’m even coming here for general dentistry because they are so terrific. They are so advanced here. I remember being afraid of the dentist and dental appointments being painful. But that’s the nice thing about coming here. It’s pain-free. I don’t feel anxious. I know they know what they are doing.

The team shows so much respect toward the patient and their needs. They take a lot of time to talk with you. I know if I have questions, I can call. When I was undergoing treatment, Dr. Winans even gave me his cell phone number so I could call if I had pain. I never did, but I was sure if I needed to, it would have been just fine.

I f I hear someone complaining of similar problems, I encourage them to call Dr. Winans for a consultation. They have to hear what Dr. Winans has to say. I would recommend him to anyone."

Wendy – Stay-at-home-mom

"I was having terrible popping and pain when I was chewing. I had headaches all the time, my teeth were not pretty. They were broken and worn down and I didn’t really like smiling. I decided to get it checked out because I was very uncomfortable. I did a little research and found Dr. Winans on-line. I am from Williamsport but I am happy to make the drive.

During my first visit they hooked me up to all kinds of machines so they could graph exactly what was happening with my jaw. It was very cool. They told me my jaw was moving in the wrong direction. Dr. Winans did some Neuromuscular Reconstruction to help relieve my symptoms. There were several steps to the process to get my bite right. Dr. Winans has all these diplomas from classes he has taken and classes he is teaching so I knew he could help me. The team was very, very thorough. I was never really apprehensive about the treatment because everyone knew what they were doing.

I am so much better! My TMJ is gone and I like my teeth now. I like to look in the mirror and I like to smile. I have told lots of people who have TMJ that they should go see Dr. Winans. He is really, really good. Going to the dentist isn’t usually something you think of as enjoyable but they make it enjoyable."

Theresa – Insurance Estimator

“For years, I suffered from neck and jaw pain. I wasn’t thrilled with my teeth, either. T hey were small, canted in and I had an overbite. A chiropractor treating my neck pai n told me that my TMJ symptoms were contributing to the problem. So I beg an to search for a dentist.

“I thought I’d need braces first, then have to move on to other treatments. Then I met Dr. Winans. When he recommended a full mouth restoration, I realized he could correct my overbite and cosmetically improve my smile at the same time! Naturally, I chose Dr. Winans.”

Nancy – Retired

“Before I came to see Dr. Winans, I was miserable. I had soreness in my neck and incredible sensitivity to hot and cold. My bite was not correct. I had old crowns and caps that needed to be replaced, and old bridgework.

I found Dr. Winans through his website. I knew I needed help and started searching. It was just time to get the work done. I was so impressed by what I saw on the website – and I was only an hour away. My daughter’s wedding was coming up so I made an appointment to be sure I got the work done for that special day. It took maybe five visits and it was very easy. I’d say to do it if you want it. It was the best money I ever spent. Dr. Winans and his staff are all great and we have fun when I’m there. I had all 28 teeth done, a full mouth rehabilitation, and my symptoms are completely gone. My smile is gorgeous!”

Joy - Customer Service

“I suffered for over a year with dizzy spells, vertigo problems, nausea, ringing in my ears, and I even lost hearing in my left ear. I saw three medical doctors and they all said that I had Maniere’s disease. It was so bad that when I had an attack I had to immediately stop whatever I was doing and lie flat on the ground. Sometimes the attacks lasted for hours! I started avoiding certain things that I enjoyed – going to church, social situations, even swinging on the swing in my yard. I wondered how I could live the rest of my life like this. Finally, my daughter, who works for Dr. Winans, convinced me to come in for an evaluation.

“I began the process of full mouth rehabilitation. It was incredible! Immediately after placing my temporaries, all symptoms vanished except my hearing. That will never come back. I have been symptom-free since October 2004. I never thought a dentist could help what three other doctors couldn’t. What can I say but thank you! I have my life back; I can swing on my swing again.”