TMJ ANYONE?

[Zanni2]

The other day my dentist diagnozed me with TMJ. I was told that I grind my teeth at night and that my teeth are beginning to wear down. In a few weeks I'll be given a mouthpiece of some kind to wear at night. I also have gingivitis. Can anyone relate?

Zanni2 angel

[ICNDonna]

I had TMJ and wore a splint for about ten years before the splint stopped working. My problem was found to be a cartilage problem in the joints and was not caused by grinding my teeth.

The little plate (splint) does help if your problem is either clenching your teeth or grinding while you are sleeping.

My brother also had TMJ, but no IC.

Donna

[ICNJess]

I have TMJ because I clench my teeth a lot, especially at night. I have yet to get fit for the mouthguard, but should soon. My jaw keeps locking when I yawn and it pops out of place! GRRR! Painful stuff.

[classics]

Two years ago I had TMJ surgery. I had a lazer surgery on the left and open surgery on the right. I had bit down on a hard chocolate on the left side and the right side dislocated. For about two years I put up with the pain, then when my jaw starting locking open and closed and I could no longer open my mouth wide enough to use an adult toothbrush, and was using baby forks and spoons, I got the surgery.

The oral surgeon used part of my skin tissue from my pelvis to make a new cushioning for where the skull meets and jaw joint. Mine was almost completely destroyed. The surgery was pretty much what I expected with an overnight hospital stay. Each passing day I got better, though it did take about six months before I could fully yawn, without fear of hurting myself again.

[ICNJess]

Hi Classics,

Wow, that is interesting. I know I myself cannot open my mouth too wide, if I open it pain shoots all through my jaw and face, it is really painful! banghead I am so glad you found relief. Yawn a big one for me! wink

[ICNDonna]

Just one more hint. The mouth guard (splint) I had fit over my upper teeth and was clear so not obvious. I wore mine 24 hours a day, even to eat.

The important thing --- I gag easily so my splint was made to fit just around my teeth and not across the roof of my mouth. Some splints fit over the lower teeth. If you get one that fits over the upper, I suggest you request one that doesn't cover the roof of your mouth. I had one for a little while and I actually drooled so much at night that I had to sleep with a towel under my face and my face became chapped.

Donna

[Iris]

Hi I can relate, I had gingivitis years ago, and had gum surgery on my upper and lower gums, it was very successful, I did have some bone loss as well at that time, but I still have all my own teeth thirty four years later. My daughter has TMJ and has to wear a night guard when she sleeps, so far she is doing great. Hugs Iris. hi grouphug

[ICNJess]

I drool anyway LOL! lmao But thanks for the heads up, Donna. I'm getting fitted soon, just having some insurance issues as usual. One question, does the mouth guard help to keep the jaw aligned and not pop out so much?

[carly]

I have TMJ also. My cat scan looks like it was an accident as a child. I have a terrible time at the dentist because I cannot open my mouth very wide. I wear a mouth gaurd at night too. I had to go to the dentist yesterday because I had a huge filling come out. Now that my asthma is so bad, I can't have my head down when my dentist works on my mouth. I also went to the dr. today to get my oxygen discontinued and HE WOULD NOT DO IT! frown

[Dixiefireball]

i personal dont know if they are realted or not but i also have tmj it hasnt flared in in years by the grace of the good Lord the last time i had tmj i was working i had worked the night shift and had to be back first thing that morning to open up i had to call my boss in to take over i was in pain so badly i couldnt hardle open my mth my whole left side of my mth hurt it ran up to my jaw into my ear OH how it hurt so badly. I cried my eyes out i had already had a headache due to no sleep from the pain of the tmj. What i believed caused mine was when my wisdom teeth came in at the age of 21 i had to go have them pulled because my mth wasnt big enough and my dentist told me they would have to be pulled due to the fact i had braces on my teeth and they wouldnt be enough room in my mth well the dentist i went to was a huge man my husband hands are big he wares a 13 1/2 on his ring finger but this man hands was bigger then that and my mth is small when he went in to pull my wisdom tooth i heard my jaw pop i just knew he did damage and i told him i heard my jaw pop he said it was normal but after that a year later i was still having problems and ended up in the dentist office and the er six times, but this was before ic. i'm not sure if they go together but i do hear alot of people say they have tmj even our beloved late auntiedebbief had tmj God rest her soul angel
I hope you feel better soon and that nasty pain goes away soon i really feel sorry for you i know how bad it hurts. sorry i'm rattleing off i had a two perocets a lexapro and a nerve pill so i think that is my problem with talking so much tonight lol. eek

[ICNDonna]

Jessica, there are differences in splints. The one I wore for ten years was made to correct my bite and it did help ease the symptoms for a long time.

I had a "popping" jaw from the time I was a little girl, but it didn't really get horrible until after I had periodontal surgery and had some bone removed --- which totally ruined a bite that was a little bit off anyhow. I'm just glad I was able to have it repaired. My mouth doesn't open as wide as some, but my jaw doesn't pop --- and best of all, it doesn't hurt.

Donna

[Teri]

I had suffered from TMJ for too many years to count. I'd been seeing the same densist for years....well, the end of last year I started seeing a new dentist and he's been replacing crown and I can not believe the difference eek eek My original dentist had my bite so screwed up that there was no way possible for me not to have pain.

Yes, I do have the permanent damage from the jaw grinding and yes, I still grind but I am no longer grinding to the point of destroying my teeth.

If you have dental work done, please check with another dentist to make sure it was done properly. IT is costing us almost $10 grand to get mine fixed, that is almost 2 years of my SS savings we were going to use for retirement.....I know that alot of you are saying "I'd have had the damn teeth pulled." I always said that too....until it was time for th dentist to actually start pulling and then I just couldn't do it.

I slept with the appliance in my mouth for about 18 years and once all the work is done, I will have another one made 'just incase', don't wanta do anything that could possibly damage this fortune I'm carrying around in my mouth wink I preferred the appliance for the bottom teeth.

sending tons and tons of prayers that this works for you.

[classics]

I forgot to mention that I also use a splint. I've been wearing it faithfully, every night since recovering from the surgery. When I first hurt my jaw, my dentist made a splint. I didn't have dental insurance, so I paid for that one. When I got the surgery, the payment for the splint was partially covered. This splint fits so much better because the surgeon made several adjustments to it while my jaw was healing. He told me to use the other one for a frisbee, or something like that. lmao

I really think the surgery was worth it, though the outcome isn't the same for everyone. My TMJ's are not perfect but I don't have nearly as much pain. I have to watch how I bite down on hard food. Sometimes I still hear pops, but they don't hurt.

[ICNJess]

I had oral surgery to get my wisdom teeth out, and I've had TMJ since I was 12, but the surgery seemed to make things worse. I am not sure if that is related to fibro or just the wisdom teeth surgery. I'd really like to be able to not pop my jaw so much, because when it locks it really is very painful.

[Jessica in Arkansas]

There is hope!
I had TMJ syndrome (we all have TMJ, Tempral Mandibular Joint(S) it is the "syndrome" that makes the nasty and painful classification.)
In the eleventh grade, for 2 months I could not open my jaw any more than to insert a straw. I worked with an Oral Surgeon who offered surgery, but since my Mom was an Oral Surgeon Assistant she knew the surgeries were not very successful so we opted for physical therapy. I had the therapy 2-3 times weekly, they showed me exercises to alleviate the pain and to open up the jaw, I never needed the brace, allthough my Mother wears one daily.
The PT was wonderful, I still use its' benifits they tought me when I get into a flair after eating hard foods that seem to aggrivate those multitude of muscles holding your jaw together.
Perhaps if you like you can e-mail me and I can tell you how to alleviate some of these awful symptoms through these exercises.
Much luck and concern!
Jessica
svohboy@earthlink.net