Anyone else have TMD?

[RonnieJo66]

I just went and saw a comprehensive neuromuscular dentist....very cool!

I have (or was pretty sure) that I had TMD....and have been living with it since I was about 12 yrs old. I am now 40 and apparently I have just about every symptom there is I don't think he wrote "no" to more than a few of the items on the check list.

Just wondering if anyone has had treatment for TMD and how was your outcome? What type of treatment did you do??

Thanks

 

[kdibattista]

What is it?

I have TMJ... never heard of TMD

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Do you mean TMJ? If so, I have that. Never heard of TMD though.

 

[RonnieJo66]

TMD:


Temporomanddibular Disorders...most people refer to it as TMJ (that's actually the joint)

 

[mom2of2]

I've had TMJ for years. I used to wear a night guard at night so that I didn't grind or clench my teeth. Some mornings my jaw was so tight that I had to wait about 10 minutes for the muscles to relax so I could take the guard out. Thank god that is OVER! I only wear it now if the clicking is really bad or if my jaw feels tight.

I don't eat:
bagels
pizza crust
soft pretzels

I have Valium for when my jaw locks which it does if I am stressing and clenching my teeth without realizing it, or I have eaten someting that is a no-no or after a trip to the dentist for a cleaning. Cleanings are every 4 months for me because I can't keep my mouth open for long without it beginning to tense. I don't have to take Valium as often as when I was first diagnosed since I've learned to constantly relax my jaw. It's not something I even think about anymore. Where I used to not notice my teeth clenched, I notice immediately now and relax right away. I may have taken it twice so far this year.

 

[HappyHappy]

I wore braces for about a year (at about age 45-that was "fun"). Resolved most of my problem. I now wear a night guard for grinding, clenching.

 

[BuckyFan04]

I wear a night guard at night for clenching and grinding. I think it has helped with the clenching. I used to wake up in the mornings and my jaw would be stiff and sore. That doesn't happen as much anymore.
I also had a little bit of work done in my mouth to file down a tooth that was sticking up a bit. The dentist thought that it would prevent my teeth from locking at night.
I can tell that I still grind at least a bit, because there are ridges/indentations in my night guard where my teeth rub against it.
My left jaw joint makes a grinding noise when I open my mouth and my left ear feels like it is plugged and wants to pop when I open my mouth wide.
The muscles on either side of the back of my neck that attach to the jaw or jaw joints get sore/really tense quite often. Tylenol doesn't usually help much. Do these muscles get sore for you guys? What would you recommend to relax them?
Also, should chewing gum be avoided?

 

[mom2of2]

NO GUM! That's a huge no-no!

Tylenol doesn't help at all. Try alieve for the muscle pains. I also find that if my jaw and neck are really sore I use a heating pad or a warmed in the microwave washcloth.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I have it somewhat. I get headaches from it, but if I relax my jaw and let my tongue loosely rest behind my front teeth, my headaches usually go away. It's worse when I'm tense or under a lot of stress.

 

[BuckyFan04]

NO GUM! That's a huge no-no!

Tylenol doesn't help at all. Try alieve for the muscle pains. I also find that if my jaw and neck are really sore I use a heating pad or a warmed in the microwave washcloth.

Thanks for the advice!

I used to chew gum all of the time, but I have been cutting back on it. I thought it might be aggravating my jaw, but I wasn't sure. Looks like I'll have to give it up completely then. My dentist never said anything about gum, but now I know!
I'll have to try the Alieve and warm washcloths as well.

 

[RonnieJo66]

Anything that has to bw chewed repeatedly in pretty much a no-no. I avoid gum, caramels, tough meats...things of that sort.

I am going to be going to start treatment in a few weeks...hope it helps. I've basically had this since I was 12. NOT FUN. The treatment is very big $$, but I'm hoping it'll improve my quality of life (at least that's how I'm justifying the cost) Still trying to figure out if medical will cover anything.....?????

Guess I'll see and let you all know

 

[mom2of2]

Insurance companys rarely if ever pay for TMJ treatment. If you find one that does let me know!!!

 

[BuckyFan04]

Good luck on your treatment! I hope it helps you.
That's a long time to live with that. I think that if the treatment will improve your quality of life, then it is worth the money.

 

[RonnieJo66]

Good luck on your treatment! I hope it helps you.
That's a long time to live with that. I think that if the treatment will improve your quality of life, then it is worth the money.

I sure hope it does....better be worth the $$.

Sure would be nice if medical would cover even a little