My dentist, Arman Abedi, recommended I wear an NTI-tss bite guard in early 2018, a decision that caused damage to my dental health. This device is known to cause an open bite in 5% of users--a condition where the front teeth no longer touch due to jaw shifting. This risk is well-documented, including on the manufactures website, and avoidable with proper monitoring during the first few months of use. However, I was never informed of this risk or monitored. I wore the device nightly, as instructed, for 18 months, attending regular cleanings with Dr. Abedi, and not once was the potential issue addressed. This could all have been avoided if in the first few months I was monitored for any jaw movement. At this point, I could have stopped wearing the device and the jaw would have returned to its normal position.
By the time my condition worsened--leaving only one molar touching when I closed my mouth--I was switched to a full guard, with no acknowledgment that the NTI-tss device he recommended was the cause. I had to pay out-of-pocket for Botox injections to manage the resulting increased grinding I was experiencing, totaling nearly $10,000 over the next couple of years before I ended up getting jaw surgery. Insurance usually does not cover Botox injections for TMJ. It was only after consulting oral surgeons and TMJ specialists that I learned the NTI-tss was the likely cause of my open bite, how it could have been avoided and how common this is for people who wear this type of device.
This lack of transparency and care has left me with ongoing damage. Over the past six years, I've endured severe grinding that has damaged my back teeth, spent thousands on Botox and medical appointments, undergone a difficult double jaw surgery, and am now two years into Invisalign post operative care. My jaw is still misaligned.
The most frustrating part is that this could have been avoided. Risks associated with the NTI-tss are clearly stated on the manufacturer's website and many others--likely due to the resulting lawsuits--but Arman Abedi either failed to inform me, didn't know or chose not to. This negligence has cost me nearly $20,000 (including the surgery and orthodontic cost) and years of pain and treatment. I can't emphasize this last point enough, literal years of pain, discomfort and treatment due to one person's negligence, Arman Abedi. Ironically, about a year into using the device, I was informed that I could wear an additional device on my top teeth but was warned that it might cause an open bite. I was adamantly against risking such an outcome, yet I had unknowingly been doing exactly that for a year simply because I wasn't informed.
While I liked Roosevelt Dental and had a great hygienist, I cannot recommend Arman Abedi due to his negligence. Seattle has plenty of dentists--choose one who prioritizes your health and fully informs you of potential risks. Avoid Arman Abedi, unless you're willing to risk significant harm due to negligence.
Posted are images of my jaw after surgery. I was recommended to wear the device in early 2018, I was 33 years old at the time. The surgery took place in October 2022, and I am still undergoing post-operative orthodontic care today. I was very lucky with my teeth up to this point, never needing braces or any type of orthodontic care as a child, and other than minor grinding, had very healthy teeth. read more
