Dennis Gordon Brave, DDS Endodontics in Brooklandville, MD

Ralph Falzarano wrote something

Dear Friends, hope all is well. I'm trying to get this message into the hands of Dennis Brave, DDS.
Any help much appreciated. Thank You ! Sincerely Yours, Ralph F. Falzarano
*It Only Hurts When I Bite Down" article
Dear Dr Brave and Dr Koch,

I trust this finds you well.

I'm reaching out to you as a follow up to your article titled:"It only hurts when I bite down" and also a visit to my DDS yesterday. We did an x-ray and a dry cotton roll test which did mimic the pain upon release of biting down. I have been experiencing this for about a week or so. It seemed like it started one morning when I woke up and my left shoulder was stiff and aching and the jaw on that side felt as if I had suffered some form of TMJ. Those symptoms more than less have faded and now I have this lingering pain when I bite down and when I release.

When we tested with the plastic tooth slooth there wasn't any pain on any part of the tooth. The tooth does not show sensitivity to hot and cold and my DDS didn't see any signs of decay. In other words there was nothing to show pathologically that he could treat me with. On the x-ray there was a very fine sinus line hanging just over the root of the tooth. Puzzling to me anyways....

I do have a history of sinusitis and have been treated in the ENT clinic/department at a local hospital. It been a few years since I've needed any help from them. I do sinus rinses, take claritin and Nasonex. I don't feel as if I have any type of cold or virus except I may have a bout of sneezing here and there. Colder air and weather also started on the onset of this...

Please be assured I'm not looking for medical treatments..I'm just really baffled by this and thought with all your years of experience with dentistry/endodontics you might be able to shed some light on this mystery.

ANY thoughts or suggestions would be deeply appreciated at this time.

Thank you in advance for your care, compassion, cooperation and attention to this frustrating matter.


Kind regards,
Ralph F. Falzarano