TMJ Disorder - anyone?

[SandyM]

I have had dull, throbbing pain on the left side of my jaw for the last few weeks. It started very gradually - just minor discomfort. I thought it would go away, but it got worse.

I went to see my dentist this morning (a TMJ specialist, as luck would have it). Turns out it's inflamed. I had an impression taken of my lower jaw, and I have to go in tomorrow to get the mouth piece that I have to wear 24/7 (except when eating) for one week. He said "it's like an ace bandage for a sprained ankle - it keeps things stable". I don't think I grind my teeth when I sleep, and according to him, nothing indicates that I do. I have no idea what precipitated this whole thing.

Aside from the sticker shock (when all is said and done, this will cost me $750, and I'm not sure my insurance will reimburse me), I'm just wading through this, hoping for the best.

He told me that if he were to interview 100 people on any given day, roughly 75 would have TMJ issues. I have, since the 9 years I've known this particular dentist, but only recently has it reared its ugly head.

So, I guess my question is - can anyone commiserate?

[cchhbb]

I've had issues for at least 15 years. I was injured when I was about 22.

I do notice that mine is much worse when I am stressed. I don't grind my teeth, but I do notice that when my musscles get tense in the upper shoulders my jaw tends to hurt more.

I had a terrible flair-up about 10 years ago and ended up on a lot of anti-inflamatories and on a liquid or soft diet for about 6 weeks. It really did help. One of the problems is that with your jaw you never really rest it.

[generic]

I can definitely commiserate. When I was 19 (I'm now 45) my dentist discovered that I was grinding my teeth in my sleep. Apparently I'd given myself a very slight overbite that wasn't there before, just from all the grinding. Over a period of years I broke myself of the habit of grinding, but during that time I would find my jaw clenching very tightly fairly often when I was awake. When I would open my mouth wide to stop clenching, the bones would crack very loudly!
It also causes headaches and mild earaches for me. A couple of other things you might want to consider aside from the mouthpiece, if it turns out this isn't just a temporary thing for you:

1)Regular DAILY breathing exercises that calm the entire nervous system and tone down the clenching. I use Andrew Weil's CD called Breathing: The Master Key to Self-Healing.

2)See if you can find anyone in your area who does something called Myofascial Release (MFR), a technique developed by a guy named John Barnes. In 2004 I went to Arizona and had some intensive MFR work done. I didn't get the results I'd hoped for in other parts of my body, but the TMJ is not nearly as bad as it was. The gal who first worked on me couldn't get over how HUGE my jaw muscles were from all that clenching. We joked about the "mandibles of death" like in that old Calvin and Hobbes comic strip! :p

Good luck. Your dentist is right, you're not alone. A lot of people don't do anything about it and end up damaging their teeth and suffering from terrible headaches and tinnitus.

[LaraW]

I have had issues with TMJ as well. It started in 2000, as I was driving to a meeting for work that was about 2 hours away. I had taken an apple with me in the car and when I bit into it, something slipped and it was very painful. It seemed to get better with ibuprofen over time, but when DH was gone for 6 weeks in 2001 and I was single-handedly packing our house in preparation for our move to CO, it got REALLY bad. The only thing that helped it was getting pregnant :o . I figured it was because of the hormone relaxin that was in my blood and it somehow relaxed that joint.

Anyhow, I don't chew gum because it can aggravate my jaw and cut up fruit such as apples when I eat them.

Good luck. I know how painful that can be, and I hope you get some relief soon.

I remember talking with both my dentist and my MD at the time. They each sent me to the other one, and neither my dental nor my medical insurance would cover it. Medical insurance said it was a dental issue and dental insurance said it was a medical issue :rolleyes:. I did not do the mouthpiece but know that they do work for other people.

[mst]

I have a retainer, and I love it. I don't have issues too often anymore, but when I do, I pop it in and go to sleep. I usually wake up with it on my nightstand- so I am not sure how long I wear it for.

The week of my wedding, I was so stressed, I could barely open my mouth. And, I was wearing my retainer every day-all day.

[SandyM]

Thanks everyone.

I'm wearing the mouth guard, and I am supposed to wear it 24/7 (except when eating) until Monday, at which point I'm to call him and give him a status on how I'm feeling. This is a "diagnostic tool" and we'll know more after the weekend.

Misery loves company, that's for sure. And while it's not really misery, it's just an annoyance, but it's nice to know I'm not alone. :)

[phantomcg]

Oh, Sandy, can I commiserate!!!

I've had my mouth guard for over 10 years! I had to wear mine 24/7 for two weeks when I first got it and I sleep with it in every single night. One of the things mine has done for me is to cut my migraines in half ~ I rarely wake up with a migraine any longer unless I forget my mouth guard.

I hope that you find that yours helps as much as mine has!

Cheryl

[LakeMartinGal]

I'm commiserating, too! I've had issues with jaw pain and headaches for aver 45 years -- even before they started calling it TMJ!:eek: I used to take medicine daily for the headaches, until a smart dentist noticed that, when I have a headache, my jaw clenches, as do my shoulders -- right up around my ears!

When the DDs were in braces, the orthodontist made a bite plate for me -- I had it over 30 years, before it broke! I, too, wore it for a week, then only at night, and got great relief from it! I also took nsaids for headache pain at the time.

Now, I wear an athletic mouthguard (about $1 at KMart) at night, with the approval of my dentist, and have very few headaches! Life has gotten a little less stressful, now that the DDs are in their 30's;) and I'm sure that contributed!;)

Good luck with the mouthguard/bite plate thing -- I used to wear it during the day, if I had a headache, too -- and ALWAYS at night! It broke after 30 years, because I accidentally washed it in my pj pocket!:eek: :o