Can anything be done about TMJ?

[Beauty]

I've had TMJ since getting hit in the mouth with a softball 5 years ago. It has progressivly gotten worse and lately is really acting up. My jaw hurts so bad....well its more like it aches constantly. Everytime I open my mouth it "pops" on both sides and my ears bother me too.

What can be done about this? Is surgery my only option?

 

[WeirdEyes]

I have TMJ also, but not as bad as yours. My dentist fitted me with a mouth guard that I wear. There are also exercises that you can do. You might want to see a TMJ specialists. Good luck!

 

[Feralpeg]

I also suffer from TMJ and I know the pain that you suffer. Yes, there are ways to correct it, but it isn't easy. First, don't let anyone talk you into having your jaw broken and wired shut. That should only be a last possible scenario. A good doctor that specializes in TMJ will tell you that a prolonged procedure is the best bet. It requires wearing a special mouth piece that holds your teeth in a different alignment. Slowly, the mouth piece is changed to move your jaw back into the position it should be. It hurts and makes the noise because it has slipped off the little pad that cushions the upper and lower pieces of the jaw. By using the mouth pieces, it forces the jaw into proper alignment. Once it is in the correct position, dental work is needed to build up the back teeth to keep the jaw in the correct position.

This is what I was told. The entire procedure takes 6 to 8 months and the cost is around $6000.00. Unfortunately, very few dental insurance plans cover TMJ. Because of the cost, I have not gone ahead with the procedure.

On a brighter note, you can do things to make it less irritated. Try not to pop your jaw (I know it feels like you need to do so). Do not rest your jaw on your hand. That puts pressure on it. Try not to eat very hard foods (don't chew ice or carrots).

There are times that mine bothers me alot. Other times, it isn't so bad. It seems that TMJ is becoming more and more of a problem. I read an article that attributes this to bad dental work and excessive capping of teeth.

Whatever you do, good luck!

 

[Snoozan]

Check with your dentist to see if he thinks a night guard will help you out. My TMJ problems were the result of nighttime clenching and it has pretty much eliminated the sore achy jaws and headaches I used to get almost daily. I also took Motrin as it's an anti-inflammatory to "break the cycle".

 

[msdznyduck]

I work at a physical therapy practice, and we just recently had a referral from a dentist for TMJ. Unfortunately, our PTs that had experience with it have moved on to other practices, but we did refer to a TMJ specialist. It is considered Physical Therapy, and most insurances will pay. It is a series of treatments 3 times a week or so, that consists of exercises, manual compression and a type of electrical stimulation, and deep heat to the jaw area.
Good luck.

 

[luvdzny]

I suffered with TMJ for over 20 years before I finally did something about it. It just kept getting worse until I could hardly open my mouth and I was in constant pain. I had surgery 13 months ago and it has been great since then. I did not have to have my jaw broken or wired shut, I just had the disc re-attached. (I also had some abnormal bone growth that had to be cut out, but I guess that is unusual.) I am glad I had the surgery, and very pleased with the results. The only problem is that my insurance company would only pay $1000 towards the surgery. It ended up costing us almost $19,000 and it had to be paid off in 1 year. That was the worst part of the whole thing!!!(Think of how many Disney trips I could have paid for with that money ) I still need to have braces and further surgery to correct the entire problem but at least the pain is GONE! If you have any questions - feel free to PM me, maybe I can help.

 

[gshoemate]

I to suffer from TMJ, caused by getting braces almost 6 years ago. I was fitted with a mouthgaurd but went to a dentist that didn't know what they were doing and it didn't fit right. Went to another dentist almost a year ago and he said I didn't have TMJ, but I have done enough research to know what I have. I do pressure release on my jaw and that seems to help, I also use moist heat (a homemade rice bag, a sock, fill it with long grain rice and then tie a knot, microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes and the hear feels wonderful). I have good days and bad. I also read a book that had alot of useful information called Taking Control of TMJ by Robert Uppgaard. Depending on where you are located, I once found a dentist online that guarenteed relief from TMJ or you paid nothing, wish I lived closed to him, I believe it was in the Midwest area.

 

[Beauty]

I'll have to try the heat......I think I may give my dentist a call just to see but I doubt there are any specialists where I live....maybe in Memphis though. The part about resting my jaw in my hands, I'm so guilty of that! I do it constantly and I'm sure that makes it worse. I also notice myself gritting my teeth right before I go to sleep at night. The popping is just awful, I can't chew without both sides popping....thanks everyone and Gshoemate thanks for the name of that book I'm going to look for it tomorrow.

 

[moinab]

My friend was just telling me yesterday that she is going to see a massage therapist who specializes in TMJ. She's a dental hygienist who does the massage therapy part time. My friend said that her appointments book at least 6 weeks in advance because she's so good at helping TMJ.

 

[CRB#33]

I know many years ago, my ex-MIL went to a chiropractor regularly. She said that didn't work, so she went to a dentist and the next thing she knew she was havng teeth pulled and a full set of braces that, for quite a while, were set to limit the movement of her mouth or something. I don't know if it fixed her problem....I don't see her anymore, but I do know she lost about 60 pounds! She looked sickly thin for way too long.

I hope something works for you though, Beth.