TMJ and mouth guard....Please I need hear your experiences.

[DVCJones]

Hello,

Not quite Disney related, but I thought I would ask the all knowing Dis'ers for some insight.

So, I have suffered from TMJ since I was a teen (I'm 41 now) and about four months ago I wrecked my jaw while eating. I couldn't even align my top teeth to the lower ones when I shut my mouth. It slowly resolved to the point where I my bite would line up again. BUT, I have continuous crackling and occasional popping in my jaw.

I just came back from the dentist and she said I need a mouth guard or risk needing surgery down the road. AND even though I have two different kinds of dental insurance, it is not covered. AND the cost is $400!!!!!!!!

Of course I will pay the $$ if I truly need it and if it actually would work, but, I have read that TMJ is the sorta of thing that flares up from time to time and never really goes away.

Have any of you used a mouth guard? If so, how does it work? Can you sleep with it? Was it worth the money?

The real kicker here is, that my insurance DOES cover jaw surgery however....

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

The mouth guard just keeps your jaw in the right position. I got my first when I was a teen, and at the time, I had to wear it all the time for a month. Then, that moved to overnight, and eventually to just when I need it. When my jaw starts bothering me now, I can just pop the mouth guard in for a few hours.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I started getting TMJ symptoms when I was 18 (I'm 46 now). My dentist referred me to an oral surgeon who had me eat only pureed or liquid foods for 2 weeks, take Valium at night so I wouldn't clench my jaw, and wear a mouth guard as much as possible. He said the idea was to keep the strain off the joint and try to heal any damage that had been done. It got better for a while, but then it flared up again. When I was in college, I would wake up with terrible headaches on the right side of my head from clenching my jaw all night.

Since then, I've been given every kind of mouth guard imaginable. I had one that fit on my top teeth, two that fit on my bottom teeth, and one that only went on my front teeth. Each one was supposed to keep me from clenching and grinding my teeth at night. None of them really worked for me. I remember my dentist looking at one in shock because I had ground holes right into it! I didn't grind my teeth together, but I still ground them against the mouth guard and ruined it! I know other people who have had good luck with them. They just didn't work for me.

I only have problems with my jaw once in a while now. If I talk a lot or get overly tired, my jaw will start to click and hurt. After a good night's sleep, it's usually fine. I still cut up apples and take the corn off the cob because it can hurt to bite into those kinds of foods. I even take really tall sandwiches apart so I don't have to open my mouth too wide because that can cause it to pop.

I think it's worth it to give the mouth guard a try. If you'd otherwise be headed for surgery, it might be worth it to see if the mouth guard works and you can avoid surgery later. Good luck!

 

[2disneyboys]

ugh... I suffered for over 6 years w/ severe TMJ problems (including locked jaws and constant miagraine level headachesa) and tried several different treatments (Shots, massage therapy, medicines, guards, etc, etc, etc) and eventually (9 years ago) I had surgery on both sides of my jaws (one as laproscoptic and the other was full open cut with some reconstructive work to my joints etc) the surgery was the BEST thing I ever did. THey told me then that sometimes, the surgery is not always a permenant fix, and I can say that I am just now starting to have the begining sympthoms (clicking, poping, slight aches etc) and I already have an appointment with my original surgeon.. not to necessarly repeat the surgery, but to perhaps start some treatments BEFORE it's so bad that surgery is my only option.

I'd try the guard to see if it helps before I just "jumped" into the surgery as that was a very painfull time for me and the healing and phyiscal therahy afterwards was terrible. Good Luck

 

[HelenePA]

when I was a senior in HS I had no idea I had TMJ until my jaw locked shut. I could only open it 5mm.. it was awful! I got a mouth guard and it did wonders! I had to wear it day and night for 2 months and only eat very soft foods I did not have to chew (lots of pudding and jello!) My mom had to pay 800$ oop for mine OUCH! somewhere along the year I lost it.. now if my jaw starts acting up I buy a 2.00 sports guard like the football players wear and it seems to do the same trick.. you can also try the trays you get in whitening packs (I hope you know what I"m talking about not the strips the gel if they even sell those anymore) Heck they even sell dental guards at riteaid for 20$ so my advice is get a mouth guard.. what kind is up to you and/or your dr...

 

[marcemc]

I suffer from TMJ from time to time. It seems that my symptoms are triggered & related to my fibromyalgia so you are actually right when you mentioned that TMJ Sometimes never goes away.

I bought a mouth guard and it seems to work right. I don't use it every night, only when I start getting pain in my jaw & face. I also take ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation.

Hope you get better, TMJ is very painful.

 

[Carina]

I was sooo skeptical - but since insurance DID pay for it I thought 'what the hay' and I had it made.

I wore and and I was amazed - I had no idea how often I had headaches until I started getting them less often! I went from 2-3 bad headaches a week to less than that in a month!

I wear it 'almost' every night - some nights I fall asleep so fast I forget to put it in. I would say 9 out of 10 nights I wear it.

Well worth it in my case.
Can your dentist submit a recommendation to your insurance 'just in case?'

 

[phred52]

I wonder if this can be put through under health insurance, or would it be strictly dental insurance? If the mouth guard is being used for treatment for headaches, makes sense to me to use health insurance..... anyone have experience paying for it that way???

 

[golfgal]

TMJ is often covered under medical insurance so check that policy for coverage. I had a mouth guard for a while. The dentist that made it wasn't very good so it didn't fit well and long story but never got it fixed. I used to wake up every morning with my mouth locked shut. It would take between 30 and 60 minutes before I could open my mouth. I had all the clicking and popping, etc. too. For whatever reason about 8 years ago it all just stopped and I haven't had problems since .

My sister had issues as well and even ended up with braces paid for by her medical insurance because her bite was causing most of her issues.

 

[kldmom2000]

I've had TMJ for about 18 years, but it wasn't until this past winter that the symptoms got REALLY bad.... I have a tendency to clench my teeth @ night and doing certain activities such as shoveling the massive amounts of snow we got this winter After one of the blizzards and spending the day shoveling, that night I woke up with the most excruciating pain ever-it lasted for a week and I couldn't eat/chew and it hurt too much to sleep.... I was in agony. I went to my dentist and he reconfirmed the TMJ since the x-rays were negative for anything else. My mouthguard cost $480. He told me to use it for an hour at a time to get used to it, then increase the amount of time. I was told once I was used to it, to use it while sleeping, exercising, shoveling snow, etc... At first, I couldn't get accustomed to it. I hated it and thought I threw my money away because it really takes some getting used to..... but after I started having jaw pain again, I forced myself to use it and it makes a HUGE difference...instead of waking up with a tight jaw, I'm fine in the morning

 

[thebigkahuna]

Try a sports style mouth guard from a sporting goods store - I clench my teeth & jaw something fierce & picked one of from The Sports Authority - ran me about 20 bucks & was well worth the money. I dont use it all the time, but can feel when I "need" to. You can always go back to the dentist for the 400$ one, but maybe you want to give this a shot 1st?

 

[Katy Belle]

I had gotten to the point that whenever I would lay on my back, my jaw would basically dislocate. I would wake up every morning and not be able to open my mouth for about an hour. Sometimes it would get stuck open

I finally went to a specialist and they made me a device that went on my top teeth/roof of my mouth...specifically molded to my mouth... of hard, thick plastic. I'm not sure it that is what everyone else is referring to as a mouth guard or not

I was to wear it 24 hours a day and I was supposed to learn to talk in it. Never happened. I was a SAHM, so I would wear it when it was just my toddler and me, and ALWAYS slept with it in, but I couldn't talk in it. It took away all of my pain, all of my dislocating issues, everything! I was cured! I was supposed to wear it for the rest of my life... but I moved overseas, several months later, and things got crazy and I got lazy and I stopped wearing it. I have had ZERO trouble since then. So, so worth it!

 

[momof1princess]

i was diagnosed with TMJ about 16 years ago. i took soma 4x a day for the first year, but it made me really sleepy, and made it very difficult to work. my ENT (who diagnosed the TMJ-i thought i had a sinus infection) suggested a TMJ splint, which looks exactly like an orthodontic retainer. i went to an orthodontist for a consult, then had one made. i've had it for 15 years, and i can't imagine my life without it. the difference it makes is unbelievable. it may not work for everyone, but it's worth discussing with your physician.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I have had two mouthguards made by dentist of a very thin(1mm and 2 mm) soft plastic and they helped incredibly.
I tried the plastic notch for the front teeth and hated it.
I have tried make your own nightguards and they haven't been able to fit my mouth.

So ,yes the 400 dentist mouthguard was worth it for me.

Dentist also said to keep teeth slightly separated at rest.

 

[DVCJones]

TMJ is often covered under medical insurance so check that policy for coverage. I had a mouth guard for a while. The dentist that made it wasn't very good so it didn't fit well and long story but never got it fixed. I used to wake up every morning with my mouth locked shut. It would take between 30 and 60 minutes before I could open my mouth. I had all the clicking and popping, etc. too. For whatever reason about 8 years ago it all just stopped and I haven't had problems since .

My sister had issues as well and even ended up with braces paid for by her medical insurance because her bite was causing most of her issues.

Thanks for suggesting checking into using my medical insurance. I plan on calling my pcp and insurance company.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I have a mouthpiece that was molded for my bottom teeth and pretty much need it to sleep because I clench during the night. It has lasted me 10 years so far so $400 seems worth it to me.

 

[AndyLL]

My wife had severe TMJ which caused a 5 month migrine and sleep apnea.

Her treatment was 10,000 in 2 parts.

The 1st part consisted of a mouth guard that shifted her lower jaw forward and was adjusted every 2 weeks. It also include jaw physical therapy and jaw massages.

It was 5,000 and dental covered 2000 of it.

It took about 6 months. Her migraine went away after 3-4 weeks. Her sleep apnea also mostly went away.

I was nervous about spending that money but she had gone to dozens of doctors trying to find the cause of her migraine.

Phase 2, also 5000, is invisalign braces and widening her jaw. If it was cosmetic only we wouldn't have done this part but the Dr. says it will open her airway more.

Since he was correct about phase 1 we went ahead with phase 2.

Most insurances exclude TMJ.

I did quite abit of research and heard horror stories about jaw surgeries. Many many people seemed to end up with permanent issues.

 

[Evi]

I also have tmj and I clench. I wear a night guard at night but have begun to look into Botox. I've heard that it can do wonders to soften the amount that people with tmj can clench there teeth and grind. Has anyone had it done?