Welcome to the Rye Smiles for Life Blog

2/10/2012

Four years ago in my search on line to find a dentist closer to home, I happened upon Dr. Rye’s Smile for Life web page. His credentials, testimonials and awards were impressive to read, and I immediately called for an initial consultation appointment. It was pure delight to meet Dr. Rye – a man who not only was genuinely and sincerely dedicated, but was someone who had a very calming, caring, and gentle nature – assuring me that my personal needs and comfort were of greatest concern. Additionally, I was introduced to his office’s state-of-the-art technologies, photo-imaging, and dental procedures – most of which were new to me. I opted for cosmetic reconstruction and reparation – which, surprisingly, was all completed in only two subsequent visits. Since then, I’ve been enjoying routine exams and teeth cleaning with Dr. Rye’s extremely competent and warmly friendly Dental Hygienist. My smile is healthier and more beautiful than ever!

Joan H.
Reston, VA

James from Fairfax had headaches all his life. His TMJ joints popped and clicked all the time, and he couldn’t bring his back molars together. Since molars protect the joints, and since they don’t touch, his joints have been deteriorating over the years. We treated his TMJ by creating an orthotic for him to wear 24/7. The orthotic was specially designed to allow his facial muscles to be at rest, allowing for a relief of stress on the TMJ. Within a week, his TMJ pain was a distant memory. With the pain gone, he was able to do his personal best in weightlifting. When he had to go a few days without his orthotic, his headaches and popping and clicking returned. We hope eventually to move him into porcelain for a permanent resolution of his issues. .

Rebecca came to us with her right jaw locked. She told us she suffered from headaches, shoulder and neck pain, clenching, and grinding. She also experienced tingling in her fingertips. She had spent thousands of dollars on root canals and MRIs to treat dental pain, and she was in treatment with a neurologist for migraine therapy once a month. She told us her neurologist did not attribute her headaches to TMD. We ran some scans on her and quickly determined that she was in fact suffering from advanced TMD. We were able to temporarily relieve her pain and unlock her jaw through TENSing, which also helped us establish a good bite for her, that is a bite with her jaw in the proper position in to relieve the TMD. We created a temporary removable orthotic to reposition her jaw, but at that point we were unsure whether our treatment would be capable of getting the disc back on the post. If we could not accomplish that, she would have to see an oral surgeon to review further options.

The result was immediate relief. Her jaw unlocked and has remained so, and she was able to almost double the distance she was able to open her mouth (from 25mm to 42mm). Her migraines have ceased, and she is no longer afraid to open her mouth. In fact, Rebecca is so pleased with the relief she has when she wears her orthotic, she drove all the way from Winchester to have us make her a new orthotic when she lost the first one we provided. The next step for Rebecca is permanent correction of her bite through either orthodontics or porcelain work to eliminate the need for the orthotic. We are so happy to be a part of Rebecca’s recovery from TMD.

We recently received this note from a very happy patient. We always appreciate the trust our patients place in us to give them the smiles they’ve always dreamed of. It’s especially rewarding to get this kind of feedback.

Dear Dr. Rye,

Valerie – from Fairfax

I’m so happy to share a nice note I received from one of our many smiling patients. TJ suffered from TMJ symptoms which had an adverse impact on his lifestyle. He received the finest TMJ and cosmetic dentistry available, and it has been life-changing for him. Other patients’ words of thanks are included on the left side of our smile gallery. Thank you, TJ for your kind words:

Dear Everyone at Rye Smiles for Life,
Since having my orthotic made and using it, I have seen dramatic changes in my life. Before I had trouble sleeping, and often had headaches, and since the first few days of getting used to having it in my mouth, I have not had a single headache, and my sleeping habits have improved greatly. Typically I would stay up late, and I would have to be really tired to get comfortable enough to fall asleep; now I get comfortable very easily, and it has even improved my relationship with my fiancée, because now we are on the same sleep schedule. I am so thankful to Dr. Rye, and happy that he convinced me to take the plunge. I just can’t wait to come back next time and further my progress, and to get my work completed! Also, Lou is the BEST! She is so friendly, and always makes sure I am comfortable with what she is doing. I couldn’t ask for better care! The service at the front desk with all the nice ladies like Meghan and Laurie is also incredible. It’s so refreshing to actually deal with them over some other places; it really shows that they truly care about their job, and the patients that come through here. I thank you all )
TJ Lassiter