So I woke up yesterday with a thuh-ROBBING pain in my left ear/jaw. Been happening on and off (but more ON) for the last few months. Trouble chewing certain things, etc. But this time it was really REALLY bad. I could barely get my mouth open to yawn, and trying to chew my toast was making me cry.
Plus I was in the middle of a really good book.
So I called in sick to work and, partially out of guilt and partially out of an aversion to any pain which prevents me from stuffing my face, I got an appointment to see my doctor about the pain.
After waiting in his office for 40 minutes (thank God for that book), I was finally called into an exam room to wait for another ten…
Then he came in, looked in both my ears, and informed me that I probably have TMJ (Temporo Mandibular Joint disorder), and there ain’t a damn thing can be done about it.
He said I might try going to my dentist and getting fitted with some sort of mouthpiece to wear at night (to alleviate some of the pressure on my jaw, or something)…
Otherwise, he said, take ibuprofen when it hurts…
…which has pretty much been my MO for months! And I’m paying you HOW much for this advice (and a lecture about my crotch), Mister…?
I know it’s not his fault there isn’t a cure for TMJ.
But dammit, am I going to have to give up bagels forever now?
There may be no cure, but they certainly do have effective methods to treat TMJ disorder. I went through it about 10 years ago. My jaw had seized up to the point where I could barely open it wide enough to take small bites from a fork. Went to a specialist and was given the mouthpiece, which I wore for awhile and which made a big difference (but it was expensive). Sometimes it bothers me now, but mostly it just pops & clicks every time I move my jaw. Supposedly I no longer have any cartilage in the joint.
For the last several years, though, it hasn’t interefered with my ability to - um - please my SO. (Hey, maybe doing that is therapeutic after all?). I guess the joint has ground itself down enough by now.
You must be in an HMO if your doctor just told you to take drugs for the pain and didn’t actually refer you to anyone. My doctor did the same thing to me when I put my back out. They must have a minimum of 3 copays before they actually do anything to help. Bastards.
Say, does your jaw pop everytime you chew? I have some of the symptoms you desibe, and every so often pain in my cheek and ear. Nice to know it could be one of those things I just have to live with.
Yep. Gotta love bureaucracy. To be honest, though, I didn’t even think about a referral. I was too busy listening to his Pap Smear lecture, and making another appointment, to let his nurse practitioner look up my toot.
Guess he’s trying to make sure I have at least ONE option open to make money for crack…
FWIW, my Dr. told not to chew gum anymore because it can aggravate TMJ… damn HMO!
My TMJ started a few years ago, out of nowhere. My jaw pops a lot, sometimes loud enough that other people hear it! Also, be careful yawning too wide… my mouth got STCUK open for a few seconds once :eek:
I am here, with you, feeling your pain. I’ve been dealing with TMJ as long as I can remember, my jaw clicked so loud people could hear it across the table in elementary school. I had my jaw lock up for a week when I was a freshman in college. I went to student health, they prescribed me Ralofin (think Advil x 20) and told me to deal. I talked to my dentist, he said deal. I recently lost the pain, clicking, and disjointing in my right jaw. Here I thought I was mostly cured…but my Orthodontist (when I was getting set up for braces) told me that it was just permanently out of place. Oooooh, greeeeaaat. That must be why I can’t move it side to side like the other jaw joint…. The braces have helped the left joint very much, though. I think I have just given up on the right.
Moral of the story? Advil. Stress reduction (stress flares those joints up, but you have probably figured that out already). Nightly mouth guards. Go easy on the taffy. Go easy on biting of fingernails and such. Braces may help, but not a lot. J You’ll get used to it and learn how to deal. I think we can get some kind of support group up here.
My wife has this, it doesn’t click all the time but every now and then she has to click her jaw to relieve the pressure. She says that her doctor told her of a treatment for it, but it required breaking and rewiring her jaw. It doesn’t cause her much pain so she is choosing to live with it.
Good to know that there is a name to what I have…
Mine started when I was 16 - my jaw would lock up and I could not move it at all. Turns out that one of my jaw joints is not working right. It makes funny noises on both sides, but it’s the right side that is damaged.
My dentist made a removable plastic cover that goes on the teeth in my lower jaw, which has helped a lot. It changes the way I move my lower jaw and also prevents me from gnashing my teeth at night. I wear this thing at night and whenever I am home and feel like it during the day.
Lately I have had more trouble with TMJ, so I went and got a new, different cover. Now it’s OK again.
It really seems that it is something you have to live with, but if you get a good dentist they will be able to help you. Some tips (some have been mentioned already):[list=1]
[li]no chewing gum, liquorice or similar goodies[/li][li]reduce stress, because stress puts pressure on the jaw[/li][li]Hi Opal![/li][li]make sure to get rid of any muscle problems/stiffness of the neck, as this puts pressure on the jaw as well[/li][li]pay attention when yawning[/li][/list=1]
Actually this could be a boon to your crack-whore career. You could specifically seek out underendowed guys and say things like “oooh! You’re so huge! I can’t get my mouth around it” etc. and you’d probably be the most popular lady in town.
I have a very very mild case of TMJ. The only thing that aggravates it is going to the dentist–holding my mouth wide open for a long time is the problem. Then my dentist hears the clicking and starts wrenching my jaw around saying “does this hurt? Does this hurt?” Well, yeah! He says “you have TMJ.” No, shit, sherlock! And then I explain to him (once again) that I only seem to have any problem with TMJ when I am in his office, and that I could “cure” the problem by never going to see him again. Then he laughs and leaves me alone. (My dentist is actually very competent.)
I’m interested in what Green Bean said, because all of this started after a rousing round of intensive dental work back in November and December (I basically went from “0” to “Maximum Allowable Insurance” in about four visits).
This is part of the reason that I chose to go to my doctor on Tuesday, instead of the dentist (since I wasn’t sure what was going on, and symptom-wise, it seemed to be a toss-up).
Anyway, I may call the dentist and see how much it would cost me to get the overnight, slobber-inducing tray. I’d have to pay out of pocket at this point, so it’d have to be pretty damn cheap.
As for braces… been there, done that… and that would REALLY throw a wrench into my Prostitutional Prowess! :eek:
Oh, and Billy Rubin… Uh, wait a sec, lemme get that flame-proof suit…
Donning Suit
ZZZZZZZZZZZIP!
OK.
When I joked to a (Black male) friend about how my Crack Whore career was down the tubes, he immediately said,
I’ve had TMJ my whole life (caused by a malformed jaw joint - it looks really wack on an X-ray).
So far I have done: the plastic thing, the advil, the stronger advil, surgery, the stronger stronger advil, and considered more surgery.
Realistically I know they will never be able to fix my jaw. It’s deformed, messed up, and operating on it is only temporary fix because the bone grows back just as screwed up (or worse) as it was before.
It locks up, gets stuck in odd positions, clicks, pops, causes headaches, grinds, grates, and is a general pain all the time. It prevents me from eating anything really chewy (although I will suffer mightily for deer jerky) and I absolutely cannot ever chew gum because it results in headaches so bad I throw up.
After being poked and prodded by the dentist, the orthodontist, the GP, the orthopedist and the maxillo-facial surgeon, the only conclusion is that as good as medical practice is, it can’t help me. Breaking and rewiring my jaw, as the next surgical option, has about a ‘40% chance of fixing the problem, and even that will likely not last for life.’ Those aren’t good enough odds for the torment of a broken, wired jaw.
I’m not sure if I feel better or WORSE after reading catsix’s post.
That sounds horrible! I’m sorry to hear about that.
When I came from the doctor the other day, I stopped by my mom’s house (she made me a nice, soft/mushy dinner), and she tells me it’s hereditary–her jaw used to get stuck open when she laughed.
Grrrrrrrreat. :rolleyes:
At any rate, I have put in a call to my dentist, because I am a complete and utter infant when it comes to pain.
Billy Rubin, I’ll consult with Ruffian on some of her “creative” techniques, and get back to you.
