By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:40:44 +0000

I have been a tinnitus sufferer for about 20 years. I am contemplating maxillofacial surgery and corresponding orthodontic work to correct a narrow upper palette. I’ve read that any kind of dental drilling can risk aggravating tinnitus. The recommended precaution is to have your surgeon drill intermittantly. I understand this recommendation, but feel that it ultimately puts the fate of my tinnitus in the hands of a surgeon who may or may not follow the ‘intermittent’ drilling protocol when it comes to the day of the surgery (he could forget and I could do nothing since I’d be asleep). Consequently, I’m wondering if there is a way to test my ears’ tolerance to the drill’s sound before surgery. My idea is to have the surgeon run the drill by my ear for a time to see how the sound aggravates my tinnitus. I could ask him to simulate the duration of drilling as it would occur during the actual surgery. I question though whether part of the risk lies in the actual internal conduction of sound via the bone. Is the sound of the drill more amplified when it is actually penetrating your bone? Also, I wonder how / whether the drilling of bone creates some kind of a trauma effect that could aggravate tinnitus. Any thoughts would be extremely helpful. thanks, Mike

Comments on: Getting It Straight – Is There a Cure for Tinnitus?

By: Mike