The Dangers of Missing A Dental Check Up and Jaw Tumors

Whether it’s a routine dental check up, a toothache, gums,etc., usually the last words you expect to hear from your dentist are jaw tumor, cyst, growth, especially not knowing right then if it’s benign or malignant. Of course there have been cavities, root canals, caps, but I've never even thought about being told about a tumor from my dentist. This was not only shocking but incredibly informational and probably things I should have been aware of before the ripe old age off 55.

I assure you when my dentist told me he was unable to do any work on the tooth that was bothering me due to a tumor in my jaw, if I hadn't been in the chair at the time I would have been on the floor. It's just not something you expect to hear from the dentist. My other doctors maybe, I mean I've had two surgeries almost 30 years ago due to tumors and cysts and although it was not expected it didn't seem as shocking I guess you could say.

Then if that wasn't enough to find out it had started to eat away at the bone in my jaw, your natural reaction is cancer. No one assumes, (that is just a bad word for me) that a benign tumor can cause such destruction with time, so it is not an out of the ball park assumption.

The recommendation was made for a consult with an oral surgeon who seemed to relieve some of my greatest fears and increase others. The fact that it had starting eating away at some of the bone structure which can be done by benign cysts and tumors that are benign was scary at best.

So with the assurance it was not going to eat away the side of my face in the next six months I chose to wait a little while allowing me the time to make arrangements at work, make financial arrangements, and have a chance to see it their was someone else I was more comfortable with. I am a firm believer that if something just doesn't feel right in your gut to go with it. It wasn't that I didn't like the oral surgeon he just didn't give me the confidence, or comforting feeling that I needed to move on.

After several months I started having sore throats with hoarseness, and headaches quite often and had developed a cough. When I went to my primary physician he told me that I had three of the top five signs of throat cancer. . I was scheduled for a scope of my throat which was like waiting for your sentencing I guess, whereas it determines the rest of your life. Well the day came and hallelujah no cancer or tumors but then what was causing the problem. Understand that being a sales manager required me to do a lot of talking and having a sore throat and being in pain was beginning to take its toll. They thought it could be my carotidenia acting up which is when my carotid artery swells producing headaches that are just unbearable, and esophageal reflux.

When the pain began generating to just the right side of my face and my right eye started to just drain like I was crying out of one eye I was done guessing and thought that it was due to the tumor in my right jaw. I went to the hospital and let them know what I thought the problem was and the oral surgeon and dentist they could call for further information.

They ran a few tests and informed me I had no growth/tumor/cyst. I was in shock and wondered how can it just go away. Don't you think you should call the oral surgeon. No there is no need because there is no growth so we are going to admit you and try to figure out what is causing your symptoms. I am not going to get into the entire story other than to say for 8 days I went through HELL. They did scans of my abdomen, brain, lung function tests, blood work like every 6 hours for days, pulmonary treatments, AAHhhhhhhh I ended up with MRSA bronchitis, dealt with a murder/suicide on my floor, and literally signed a DNR and spoke with a reverend thinking I wasn't going home.

Now looking in retrospect (as the radiologist stated who later saw the tumor) I should have called an attorney or someone to make them listen, because even as I begged 5 doctors and an ARNP to please just call my dentist they would have no part of it.

This lead to the loss of my job, insurance, and changed my life more than I can say. I have since been to numerous doctors and not only confirmed that yes the tumor is there, it is benign (as of last year) which could change (something else I didn't know) and they will probably now have to remove some of the bone from my leg to rebuild my jaw along with some nerve damage which I won't get into. The stress and pain has caused everything from memory lapses to where I thought I was showing early signs of dementia (which we still don't know) to just feeling or falling out. Of course dementia would devastate anyone.especially when I took care of my dad while he had it for the last 5 years of his life.

If you know in your gut what's wrong and have had tests done to support the fact DO NOT let them sit there and tell you no. Call someone who will tell the doctors what to do and make them listen or go somewhere else where the doctors give a dam about what the patient has to say or thinks.

Rest assured that Winter Haven Hospital in Winter Haven Florida is NOT one of them. If you have good insurance they will make sure that you will have an extended stay so their pockets can be filled with $$$$.

I did start an investigation with the Dept. of Health in reference to the doctors and with ACHA in regards to the hospital but if you've read my hub on a tribute to my father you'll understand why my standards are not set very high

So go with your gut and no matter how minor of an illness you may thin it might be there is always a possibility of that changing, so get some help.

Have an incredible day