HayleyMarie
Like a bat outa' hell
I was diagnosed about a month and a half ago. And it sucks big time. I get a mouth thing in a few weeks. I really hope that makes a big difference, the the dr. Thinks it won't 
TMJ-any one deal with it??
- Thread starter HayleyMarie
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xpaeanx
Active Member
I have it, but TMJ is an umbrella term for anything that is wrong with that joint.
Mine can only be corrected by surgery(and I got more than one opinion) as mine is due to trauma... My disc is disintegrated and the bone is grinding on bone, small pieces are left which occasionally jams it and causes more pain and inflammation.
Mine was actually really helped by removing my wisdom teeth, the way they were impacted was apparently adding even more pressure to the joint. My jaw used to actually get stuck shut for weeks at a time due to inflammation.
I have considered getting the surgery done, but I'm not a big fan of having pieces of me cut into. Right now I manage it by not opening my mouth too wide and watching how "chewy" things are that I eat. Some days it's sore, but most of the time it's ok. If I want to open my mouth wide I do still have to manually click my jaw into place. LOL.
Mine can only be corrected by surgery(and I got more than one opinion) as mine is due to trauma... My disc is disintegrated and the bone is grinding on bone, small pieces are left which occasionally jams it and causes more pain and inflammation.
Mine was actually really helped by removing my wisdom teeth, the way they were impacted was apparently adding even more pressure to the joint. My jaw used to actually get stuck shut for weeks at a time due to inflammation.
I have considered getting the surgery done, but I'm not a big fan of having pieces of me cut into. Right now I manage it by not opening my mouth too wide and watching how "chewy" things are that I eat. Some days it's sore, but most of the time it's ok. If I want to open my mouth wide I do still have to manually click my jaw into place. LOL.
Romy
Taxiderpy
I used to have it BAD. The doctor referred me to a specialist at UW, who told me that it was the worst case he'd ever seen. I could only open my mouth 3/4".
The mouth guard helped a teeny bit. It kept it from getting any worse, which is important actually if yours isn't too horrible yet. The specialist did an MRI, which is probably what you will need to figure out how to address the problem. He could see that mine was caused by huge buildup of scar tissue from trauma to my face (probably from when I fell 30' out of a tree and broke a lot of other bones).
There's a little cartilage disk in your jaw joint that slips around when you open and close your jaw. Sometimes it can get torn off completely and get stuck, which makes your jaw stick open or shut until it loosens but it happens over and over because the cartilage is just floating around in there. In a case like that surgery may help.
Sometimes it's just simple irritation/joint inflammation from an overbite, underbite, tooth grinding, jaw clenching, etc.
In my cause, surgery to remove the scar tissue would have probably made more scar tissue in the long run, so he didn't even want to try it. There was some inflammation from the scar tissue rubbing on healthy tissue when I tried to work my jaw, and that made it worse. That's why the mouth guard helped a teeny bit. It did stop me clenching my teeth in my sleep so the little bit of inflammation would go down.
What finally cured it was scar tissue massage. A massage therapist could do it for you, and after a session or two you can pick up on it enough to do it yourself. The idea is to rub in the direction opposite the scar tissue fibers with enough pressure to start breaking it down. It's a very slow process, but it does work. As it breaks down it's reabsorbed by your body. I saw the most improvement when I used a normal electric massager thing on my jaw using the techniques my massage therapist used. It took about 3 years of that, but now my jaw is about 95% fine. Most of the time it's 100%. I can open my mouth super wide, I can hold it open, I can eat almonds, it doesn't even click anymore.
That's why an MRI is important though, because if it's not scar tissue then deep tissue scar tissue massage stuff might aggravate inflammation issues if that's the real cause. Once you know the cause of it, you can figure out a strategy to correct it.
The mouth guard helped a teeny bit. It kept it from getting any worse, which is important actually if yours isn't too horrible yet. The specialist did an MRI, which is probably what you will need to figure out how to address the problem. He could see that mine was caused by huge buildup of scar tissue from trauma to my face (probably from when I fell 30' out of a tree and broke a lot of other bones).
There's a little cartilage disk in your jaw joint that slips around when you open and close your jaw. Sometimes it can get torn off completely and get stuck, which makes your jaw stick open or shut until it loosens but it happens over and over because the cartilage is just floating around in there. In a case like that surgery may help.
Sometimes it's just simple irritation/joint inflammation from an overbite, underbite, tooth grinding, jaw clenching, etc.
In my cause, surgery to remove the scar tissue would have probably made more scar tissue in the long run, so he didn't even want to try it. There was some inflammation from the scar tissue rubbing on healthy tissue when I tried to work my jaw, and that made it worse. That's why the mouth guard helped a teeny bit. It did stop me clenching my teeth in my sleep so the little bit of inflammation would go down.
What finally cured it was scar tissue massage. A massage therapist could do it for you, and after a session or two you can pick up on it enough to do it yourself. The idea is to rub in the direction opposite the scar tissue fibers with enough pressure to start breaking it down. It's a very slow process, but it does work. As it breaks down it's reabsorbed by your body. I saw the most improvement when I used a normal electric massager thing on my jaw using the techniques my massage therapist used. It took about 3 years of that, but now my jaw is about 95% fine. Most of the time it's 100%. I can open my mouth super wide, I can hold it open, I can eat almonds, it doesn't even click anymore.
That's why an MRI is important though, because if it's not scar tissue then deep tissue scar tissue massage stuff might aggravate inflammation issues if that's the real cause. Once you know the cause of it, you can figure out a strategy to correct it.
Romy
Taxiderpy
You might look into whether Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is an option. It's been used pretty successfully to treat osteoarthritis in other joints, so it stands to reason the jaw wouldn't be much different. My cousin is Canadian and was actually going through the prep stuff for having hip replacements done, when he found out about it. His insurance didn't cover it, but he got both hips done for $1000 out of pocket and two weeks afterward stopped needing to use his cane. He's much much better now and not in pain anymore, and canceled his hip replacement surgery.
http://www.hss.edu/newsroom_prp-treatment-potential-for-knee-osteoarthritis.asp#.VO_XNPnF-A0
Panzerotti
New Member
Are you stressed out?
I've had it twice in my life, both when I was working office jobs, which I absolutely despise. It got progressively worse last time, like super painful to eat/talk, but it went away when I quit that job and hasn't returned since.
My dad used to get it too, and he got some sort of biofeedback thing that actually worked.....it let him know when he was even slightly clenching so that he could train himself to relax.
But yeah, there are many causes and degrees of severity of TMJ, my experience was relatively brief thankfully.
I've had it twice in my life, both when I was working office jobs, which I absolutely despise. It got progressively worse last time, like super painful to eat/talk, but it went away when I quit that job and hasn't returned since.
My dad used to get it too, and he got some sort of biofeedback thing that actually worked.....it let him know when he was even slightly clenching so that he could train himself to relax.
But yeah, there are many causes and degrees of severity of TMJ, my experience was relatively brief thankfully.
yv0nne
Vizsla mom
Had it.. had the surgery. 10/10 would NOT recommend. Worst experience of my life.
They also accidentally clipped some nerves while doing the surgery& they never came back. So I have no feeling in my bottom lip/ above my chin. Took a full year to be fully recovered and was generally horrifying.
They also accidentally clipped some nerves while doing the surgery& they never came back. So I have no feeling in my bottom lip/ above my chin. Took a full year to be fully recovered and was generally horrifying.
HayleyMarie
Like a bat outa' hell
Pan- I'm not stresses out. I don't grind or clench, it's because apparently my back molars where not fixed correctly when I had braces so now it's causing my issues.
The dentist really wants me to try Botox to help relieve the pain and relax the muscles. I'm honestly not very keen on that. The dr says because my face is so small it will Chang it drastically. I've heard of people doing it long term and their muscles sort of collapsed and they have a sunken in face.
If the mouth guard does not help I will be going in for a second opinion.
The dentist really wants me to try Botox to help relieve the pain and relax the muscles. I'm honestly not very keen on that. The dr says because my face is so small it will Chang it drastically. I've heard of people doing it long term and their muscles sort of collapsed and they have a sunken in face.
If the mouth guard does not help I will be going in for a second opinion.
GoingNowhere
Active Member
I had it bad for a few years. At its worst, I could open my mouth just enough to squeeze a spoon inside it (i.e. about a cm or two). Now I'm back to pretty much full range of motion and the only residual effect is that my jaw starts to feel sore if I hold my mouth open too long or I am really stressed and clenching my jaw overnight.
Honestly, it happened to me overnight. The night before my jaw felt fine, but when I woke up in the morning, I couldn't even open my mouth a cm. Obviously, I'm sure that the damage didn't happen overnight, but it sure seemed that way! The first issue was the lack of mobility in my jaw and once that started to clear up, the clicking became apparent (I'd never had that before). Now I can "make" my jaw click if I move my mouth in a particular way, but it doesn't do so when I'm just eating or talking.
I went to an urgent care center first and was promptly traumatized when the doctor was concerned I might have tetanus (aka be dead shortly thereafter). But he suspected TMJ was more likely, so he sent me on to an oral surgeon who prescribed me steroids and muscle relaxants. These helped me get to where I could open my jaw about an inch, which was a major improvement.
Apparently, your jaw has two features of motion. The first is a rotating motion which allows you to open your jaw partway. After that, there's a sliding motion that lets your jaw open as wide as you can get it.
After about a week, I was referred to a TMJ specialist, who was a major help. He made me a custom bite plate for my lower jaw and actually used a dremel type appliance to grind off the tips of some of my teeth. He used a dyed strip of paper to test exactly which points of which teeth were touching (by having me bite onto the strip and then looking at the dye marks). The amounts that he took off of my teeth were so teensy that I couldn't feel more than the grinding sensation, but it helped to realign my bite. When I first went into his office, if I tried to bite down, only one tip of one tooth from the top jaw would actually touch the bottom jaw. According to the specialist, I was unconsciously trying to correct my bite by grinding my teeth and I had inadvertently brought on this issue by overstressing my jaw.
What's interesting is that I also used to have headaches regularly and didn't have a clue that they might be associated with a jaw issue (that I didn't even know I had until I woke up and couldn't open my mouth!). Those have all but disappeared. I still wear the mouthguard sometimes, but I'm not as good about it as I ought to be anymore. I wore that thing every night for several years afterward though.
Honestly, it happened to me overnight. The night before my jaw felt fine, but when I woke up in the morning, I couldn't even open my mouth a cm. Obviously, I'm sure that the damage didn't happen overnight, but it sure seemed that way! The first issue was the lack of mobility in my jaw and once that started to clear up, the clicking became apparent (I'd never had that before). Now I can "make" my jaw click if I move my mouth in a particular way, but it doesn't do so when I'm just eating or talking.
I went to an urgent care center first and was promptly traumatized when the doctor was concerned I might have tetanus (aka be dead shortly thereafter). But he suspected TMJ was more likely, so he sent me on to an oral surgeon who prescribed me steroids and muscle relaxants. These helped me get to where I could open my jaw about an inch, which was a major improvement.
Apparently, your jaw has two features of motion. The first is a rotating motion which allows you to open your jaw partway. After that, there's a sliding motion that lets your jaw open as wide as you can get it.
After about a week, I was referred to a TMJ specialist, who was a major help. He made me a custom bite plate for my lower jaw and actually used a dremel type appliance to grind off the tips of some of my teeth. He used a dyed strip of paper to test exactly which points of which teeth were touching (by having me bite onto the strip and then looking at the dye marks). The amounts that he took off of my teeth were so teensy that I couldn't feel more than the grinding sensation, but it helped to realign my bite. When I first went into his office, if I tried to bite down, only one tip of one tooth from the top jaw would actually touch the bottom jaw. According to the specialist, I was unconsciously trying to correct my bite by grinding my teeth and I had inadvertently brought on this issue by overstressing my jaw.
What's interesting is that I also used to have headaches regularly and didn't have a clue that they might be associated with a jaw issue (that I didn't even know I had until I woke up and couldn't open my mouth!). Those have all but disappeared. I still wear the mouthguard sometimes, but I'm not as good about it as I ought to be anymore. I wore that thing every night for several years afterward though.
milos_mommy
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Yup, got measured and approved by insurance for a device in December. Got molds taken, had it made, all in December.
Went to pick it up after the new year and told insurance would only cover the cost last year (they didn't tell me that). Want like $650 for it, and won't allow me to make payments.
It's not too bad for me most of the time though, thankfully. The chiro helps, eating a soft diet when it flares up, massage. I have steroid nasal spray because I get bad sinus/ear pain with it. Also lose my voice completely because of the muscle constriction in my vocal chords, thankfully that's not too often.
My teeth are shifting now and it's pissing me off. I had very near perfectly straight teeth and with the TMJ they're getting all messed up
Went to pick it up after the new year and told insurance would only cover the cost last year (they didn't tell me that). Want like $650 for it, and won't allow me to make payments.
It's not too bad for me most of the time though, thankfully. The chiro helps, eating a soft diet when it flares up, massage. I have steroid nasal spray because I get bad sinus/ear pain with it. Also lose my voice completely because of the muscle constriction in my vocal chords, thankfully that's not too often.
My teeth are shifting now and it's pissing me off. I had very near perfectly straight teeth and with the TMJ they're getting all messed up
HayleyMarie
Like a bat outa' hell
Yup, got measured and approved by insurance for a device in December. Got molds taken, had it made, all in December.
Went to pick it up after the new year and told insurance would only cover the cost last year (they didn't tell me that). Want like $650 for it, and won't allow me to make payments.
It's not too bad for me most of the time though, thankfully. The chiro helps, eating a soft diet when it flares up, massage. I have steroid nasal spray because I get bad sinus/ear pain with it. Also lose my voice completely because of the muscle constriction in my vocal chords, thankfully that's not too often.
My teeth are shifting now and it's pissing me off. I had very near perfectly straight teeth and with the TMJ they're getting all messed up
Lord, what kind if device? A splint?
milos_mommy
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Nope, just a typical mouth guardTMJ apparatus - I'm sure the same thing everyone else is talking about (it's only $250 in itself but I have to pay my deductible before I get it)
milos_mommy
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Has anyone dealt with swollen painful gums from TMJD? My gums are all puffy from my shifting teeth and so sore I tried rinsing with saltwater and ibuprofen but it hasn't helped. Short of straight up icing my mouth any tips?
I tried rinsing with saltwater and ibuprofen but it hasn't helped. Short of straight up icing my mouth any tips?
HayleyMarie
Like a bat outa' hell
Has anyone dealt with swollen painful gums from TMJD? My gums are all puffy from my shifting teeth and so sore
I don't have any suggestions for you, but there is an aweosme TMJ group on fb. It just called TMJ. Join it's full of lots of helpful info
StillandSilent
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I got the splint and it's been a lifesaver. As long as I wear it as close to 24/7 as possible, I have almost no pain.