Is there a cost efficient way to treat TMJ?

[Belle Amy]

I developed TMJ two years ago, about 3 months before I got married. It was a very stressful time with wedding planning, a death in the family, etc, and I would clench my teeth during sleep, during the day, pretty much any time that I should have been relaxing my jaw.

I never went to the doctor or dentist for this, I just diagnosed myself with the internet (I know, I know).

I had jaw clicking constantly, my jaw would get stuck open when I would open my mouth too wide for a bite of food, and the pain was INTENSE!

From my understanding, at least with the temporary time that I had it, your tendon gets inflammed from the clenching, etc. This causes the lower jaw to get pulled off "track" and the bottom jaw rubs incorrectly on the upper jaw. This fit COMPLETELY with the way mine felt.

I have not had the problem in about a year and a half, using recommendations from medical websites. I took a regular (but not too much) amount of ibuprofen for the inflammation, did jaw exercises, such as opening my mouth and slowly moving my jaw from side to side. This seemed to relax the muscles in my jaw and relieved some of the tension. Last I had to make a conscious effort to not clench my teeth while I was awake, and hope that that would compensate for the clenching I knew I would do while I was asleep. I never bought any mouth guards for nightime. During the day, I would find myself clenching my teeth and I would force myself to relax. It became second nature.

Hope you find something that works for you, I had mine for about 4 months total and it was horrible!

 

[momof1princess]

i've had TMJ for about 16 years. about 15 years ago, i got a "splint", which looks like an orthodontic retainer, made by an orthodontist for about $250.00, and it was the best money i ever spent. i am a clencher/grinder (have been since i was about 4-5 years old), and i have to sleep in my splint every night. i don't know what i'd do without it.

 

[MrsPete]

My husband has it -- a pretty nasty case too -- and most of the time he doesn't have any symptoms at all. However, he does have periodic flare-ups that're very painful.

The #1 thing that helps him is PREVENTION of flare-ups. Eating hard things (i.e., peanuts or beef jerkey -- both favorites of his) is a sure-fire way to cause trouble. He was never a gum chewer, which is a problem for TMJ sufferers. The thing is, you don't want to over-exert the jaw. I don't mean he eats soup all the time, but he avoids (or eats in extreme moderation) foods that're tough to chew.

He's had it long enough that he recognizes the signs coming on, and he has some prescription muscle relaxers that do a great job -- and the earlier he takes them, the better off he is. If he allows himself to get into a full-blown problem situation, he's going to end up taking at least a day off work, taking loads of pills, and hurting a great deal. I'd say it took him two years to learn to manage this problem, but it's not a big deal in his life anymore -- for a while there, it was horrible.

Another big problem for him is STRESS. When things are super-busy at work, even if he's been behaving himself in his diet, he sometimes has a flare-up. Since he needs to keep working, there's not much he can do about this.

The single best thing that ever happened to him is that our doctor has TMJ too. It wasn't that we sought out a doctor with the same condition, but we just lucked into it. He helped my husband learn to prevent rather than treat the pain. I do like that about our doctor.

 

[TriMom]

I also had TMJ, here are some suggestions from my Dentist that have not all ready been cover previously.

No chewing gum. No caffeine - since it is a stimulant it can cause you to clench your jaw. To avoid nighttime grinding and pressure: Sleep on your back with no pillow under you head - put a rolled up towel under you neck. A couple of pillows under your knees can make this more comfortable.

I hope you can get some relief - TMJ is no fun at all.

 

[MM27]

I had extreme pain from TMJ. My dentist made me a night guards but I bit through two of them. After almost choking in my sleep on the broken piece, I decided not to get another one. I mentioned it to my chiropractor and he used this metal gun type thing to shoot the jaw back in line. Oh, what relief. After having this done a few times, I never needed it again.

 

[Denine]

Another TMJ sufferer here. I started with problems my sophmore year in college. I had the jaw lock up several times, not to mention the popping and clicking.
I went to an orthodontist that made me one of the plates. I couldn't wear it at night. He also would file down minute points on my teeth to even out my bite. I don't think any of those things really worked.
I am a clencher.
Mostly, I try to keep my jaw in a neutral position which just come naturally after so many years.
I also do not chew gum or chewy foods.

When I go to the dentist, he will put a block in my mouth to hold it open if I need to have work done. This eases the muscles.

I really don't have any pain, but it is a nuisance.

 

[customan348]

I have recently developed this condition. I've been under a great deal of stress this past few months and have noticed that I've been clenching my teeth throughout the day and never even noticed until this TMJ started.

Now I have pain in both hinges of my jaw that is like a dull ache for most of the day. It would be enough to make you crazy if you knew you had to live with it forever. I have also had my jaw to lock momentarily a few times when I opened it to take a big bite of burger or other large item. And I have the clicking in my jaw sometimes too. I have no experience with it so I need advice from people who do have it.

What do i do for this. I have no health or dental insurance so everything would have to be out of pocket. I heard it's around $300 to have the mouth piece made by a dentist, right? Will it work if I invest in it?

I'm breastfeeding so I always shy away from Advil, Aleve, etc. I only take Tylenol and only when I'm really in pain. Is there anything else that those of you with this condition do? Does it eventually correct itself or am I doomed to have it forever? What should I avoid doing while trying to make it better?

Please any advice would be appreciated.

When I started to grind my teeth .. it hurt like hell! I went to an orthodontist and recommended a custom-made/boiled night guard. He told me it would cost like $300-400.00!!!! I went online to search for more affordable night guards. I read reviews on Dentek/Splintek/Doctor's Brand and they seemed okay. I needed something quickly during that time .. because I was fearing TMJ. I finally found a company by the name of 'TotalGard'. They had some great night guards. I am still wearing my 'StressGard' and my grinding is no longer with me. I hope this helps.

- Plardo