Is this TMJ?

[snarlingcoyote]

I thought one of my fillings might need a crown as my jaw has been achy on one side. Went to the dentist, who filled the tooth next to it and says one of my wisdom teeth needs to come out, but that really the teeth don't seem to be the cause of the ache. He tapped around all my teeth and nothing hurt when he did it. He also took X-rays (how he found the cavities) and said everything looks fine there - no infections and the filling I thought might need a crown is perfectly fine. Also, no particular tooth hurts when I eat, but when I eat non-soft foods, my entire jaw hurts.

I have a dentist appointment for Monday (ANOTHER cavity that needs filling!) and in the meantime the ache has become excruciating. It's not in a tooth, it's down lower, in my jaw. Top and bottom, radiating from the hinge of my jaw, up to my nose.

Is this what TMJ feels like? I've been taking Excedrin and that brings it back to tolerable. Someone told me that if it is TMJ, if you rub up near your ear, at the hinge of your jaw, you will feel better. This has been helping a lot. Do cold packs and warm packs help?

 

[rchristiansen]

I have TMJ and it doesn't radiate up to my nose. The pain goes down my ear and gives me headaches. Also my jaw cracks and there are times I can't open my mouth very wide. I have this mouth guard thing now that I wear that helps a lot.

My Dentist was the one who diagnosed it by just a regular checkup - so I think your Dentist would have said something. Perhaps a visit to your regular doctor? Maybe it's your sinuses?

 

[charming23]

This time of year I get that feeling in my ear as my sinuses are draining. Usually a few days of anithistimine and decongestants make it feel better. My mom thought I had TMJ as well but the doctor diagnosed it as sinus issues so I would go to the doctor and get a definite answer.

 

[golfgal]

I had TMJ and would get pain at the joint, my jaw would also lock shut pretty much every night (overnight) and it would take me a good hour for it to relax enough to open it all the way. It is possible it is TMJ but it sounds more like sinus issues, which can appear to be tooth pain. I agree, go to your regular dr and see if perhaps you have a sinus infection. I know the "poor man's x-ray" is something you can do at home to see if your sinuses are full-shine a flashlight up your nose and see if you can see the light in the soft pallet in your mouth. If you can't there is a good chance you have fluid in your sinuses.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Thanks for the responses, but it's definitely not sinus pain. Ah well. I'll just load up on the painkillers until Monday. When I went to the dentist before, it was just a mild ache. Now it's in the excruciating, taking way more OTP painkillers than it says to on the bottle, lie awake at night and try not to think about it, category.

 

[dzorn]

Thanks for the responses, but it's definitely not sinus pain. Ah well. I'll just load up on the painkillers until Monday. When I went to the dentist before, it was just a mild ache. Now it's in the excruciating, taking way more OTP painkillers than it says to on the bottle, lie awake at night and try not to think about it, category.

You want a pain killer with an anti inflamitory(sp?). Motrin or advil. Open your jaw half way and swing from side to side. Popping and pain then TMJ.

Denise in MI

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Well, it pops like crazy, but it doesn't hurt any more or any less.

Thank you for that, though. Now I can worry about what IS causing it.

I am going to go load up on sudafed tho'. I know when I used to get migraines that drying out my nasal passages, whether all inflamed or not, helped, because the head is a closed unit with no room to expand. . .maybe the theory will work for me until Monday. . .it's that or I'm headed to the Urgent Care this weekend. (I swear, I visit the Urgent Care more than my family doctor. Oh wait. He's not open on weekends when I actually have time to see him!)

 

[teacherforhi]

Do you have arthritis? I was diagnosed with arthritis in the jaw about two months ago. I was having awful headaches (which I thought were sinus), but it was the pain from my jaw. I had to go on a stronger arthritis medication to get the swelling down. I lay on a heating pad for about 30 minutes before I go to bed (15 on each side). It's helped a lot.

 

[mrspaha]

I don't have TMJ, but I've had LOTS of root canals. It could be that, expecially if you've recently had a large filling.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I have arthritis in my big toes (You may laugh. Even I find it funny. . .mostly). So that's possible, the weather has been changing a little this week. I really hope it isn't that. EEK!

I didn't have any root canals, just a filling and the pain is pretty evenly distributed thru my upper jaw and my lower jaw.

Right now tho', the combination of the maximum dosage of various painkillers, sudafed and caffeine seems to be helping.

I AM going to try the heating pad suggestion, that sounds like it might help.

 

[MK2thcleaner]

Sounds like it could be TMJd- tempromandibular joint disorder. Are your muscles around the jaw sore? Open your mouth and gently poke at the inside of your cheek, deep towards where the lower jaw hooks into the upper jaw. Anything really tender? Feel around the outside of your face near the ear and then down the side of the jaw to the neck. Anything really tender? Soreness in any of those muscles can be a sign of TMJd.

I would definitely ask the dentist about TMJd and if he thinks this could be your problem. Our protocol is to refer to a specialist who then takes a thorough health history, does a physical exam and then often creates an orthotic which is a type of appliance that opens the bite and allows the muscles to relax. Patients often must wear the appliance constantly for 6 months or so, then only at night.

Good Luck!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Well, I couldn't find our heating pad, so I warmed up a rice bag and two wet towels. Thank you teacherforhi! It helped me immensely tonight as I was waiting for the minutes to tick away until I could take more pain relief. I was whimpering at one point, considering going to the ER. On a scale of bad, this was slightly below breaking both my big toes when I was 10, but a little bit worse than waking up with an infected cat bite, unable to move my right hand.

MK2thecleaner, I pressed around, nothing really is sore. It hurts in the bone, feels like. I've noticed tho' that if I don't open my mouth too much, it helps not hurt so much.

DH wants me to go the urgent care tomorrow afternoon and see if they can do anything for me. There has to be some explanation for this.

 

[golfgal]

Well, I couldn't find our heating pad, so I warmed up a rice bag and two wet towels. Thank you teacherforhi! It helped me immensely tonight as I was waiting for the minutes to tick away until I could take more pain relief. I was whimpering at one point, considering going to the ER. On a scale of bad, this was slightly below breaking both my big toes when I was 10, but a little bit worse than waking up with an infected cat bite, unable to move my right hand.

MK2thecleaner, I pressed around, nothing really is sore. It hurts in the bone, feels like. I've noticed tho' that if I don't open my mouth too much, it helps not hurt so much.

DH wants me to go the urgent care tomorrow afternoon and see if they can do anything for me. There has to be some explanation for this.

Heck yes, go to the dr!! If the pain is that bad SOMETHING is wrong. I would call your DR, NOW, and get in. I think this is beyond what your dentist can do for you. Also, if it IS TMJ, often that is covered under your medical insurance, not your dental, just something to check into because usually medical has better coverage.

 

[charming23]

I agree go to the doctor if the pain is that bad. It is better to have it taken care of now rather than waiting until Monday when the pain could be significantly worse.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Well, thank you all and the insistence I go to the doctor was v. good advice! I went to Urgent Care. The doctor diagnosed me with Trigeminal Neuralgia. Here's the NIH fact sheet for us civilians.

I've also got the really good pain pills for the next outbreak of pain. and I've made an appointment with a neurologist.

The only bad thing is my Primary Care doc. Urgent Care doc told me to make an appointment for this afternoon with my Primary care doc. He stressed it several times that I had to get in to my primary today, as he could only give me 5 days of painkiller, and that I have to meet with a good neurologist ASAP - no waiting allowed on this one!

Primary care doc's receptionists were spectacularly unimpressed with this and offered me an appointment for next Wednesday. In addition, in the past 3 months, they've lost my appointments twice and are rude. They didn't even ask WHY the Urgent care doc wanted me to be seen today. When I called and asked for an appointment and said which doc I wanted to see, I got this heave of a sigh and was put on hold. A minute later, another girl answered and I made the appointment.

I like the doctor a lot. I do not like the staff at the practice he's at. I'm going to sleep on it and decide on Monday if I'm giving the practice one last try or not. It's a hard decision; the doc is a good doc and I like him, the office staff OTOH. . .well. I will obey Thumper's mom's dictate.

At least the person who made my appointment with the neurologist was knowledgeable. She took my history, gave me some info, and made sure I was put on the doctor's cancellation list with the note to call me and I'd be there as fast as my car could drive there!

 

[golfgal]

OUCH!!!!! Your clinic sounds like our old clinic-great dr, hated the staff. Everytime you called they acted like you interrupted their nail filing or something. .

I hope everything is ok.

 

[charming23]

Glad you went to the doctor and got some better meds to help you out.

That stinks about your doctor's office though. My dentists office was like that. You always seemed to be interrupting something important like nail filing or the gossip hour whenever you called or showed up for your appointment. I liked the dentist but when they "lost" my appointment two weeks in a row, I left.