GoKawiilFirst-person essay recounts teen dental procedure that worsened jaw pain
A personal essay describes a 17-year-old visiting a dentist for jaw pain, only to be told his face was asymmetrical and his bite slightly misaligned. The dentist performed same-day tooth reshaping, which the narrator says left his teeth shorter and worsened the jaw impingement rather than fixing it. The essay continues with the narrator, now 20, describing another dental visit involving an old x-ray machine in Florida.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The essay reads as a cautionary personal account rather than a reported investigation, raising questions the writer implies about how readily some dental professionals recommend elective procedures. It suggests, through the narrator's experience, that patients may not always get adequate explanation of risks before consenting to irreversible dental work.
- A dentist recommended same-day tooth reshaping for a minor bite issue in a teenager.
- The narrator reports the procedure worsened his jaw problem rather than fixing it.
- The essay is a personal, anecdotal account rather than a clinical or investigative report.
Source: mapwriting.substack.com — Parker Tatum, 2026-10-12
Published there as: “Do dentists know what they're doing?”
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