TMJ Support Group

I have been suffering with a problem in my right joint for nearly 10 years. Started with clicking, tinnitus, pain when opening. There was a point where I didn't want to eat at all because it hurt. Currently I don't have the severe piercing pain in the joint, but the muscles on the right side of my face are contstantly contracting, I clench my teeth every few seconds without avail, and wear an oral orthotic to even out my bite. I can hear the joint in my right ear cruching each time I eat and my right ear feels completely clogged.

I've been in braces twice, have been to nearly every type of doc under the sun and seems I have tried nearly every treatment outside of surgery. If this current orthotic does not help me, I'm considering either the Mayo or Cleveland clinic.

Looking for suggestions anyone? Thanks for listening.

You are clenching. Have you tried any of the following?

Hypnosis

Myofacial Release

Acupuncture

Meditation

Sauna

Massage

Years ago, after my accident I began clenching as a way to protect myself from the pain. It was an awful habit to break, and I wound up shoving a rag in my mouth at night to prevent me from doing it. Splints always wound up thrown against the wall in the middle of the night. I was able to finally train myself to keep the tip of my tongue on the roof of my mouth, just behind my front teeth, as a way of stopping the behavior. They say it takes 2 weeks to build a habit. Replacing an old one is just building a new habit.

Moist heat does help with the spasms. Microwave a damp cloth or make a rice bag out of a tube sock and uncooked rice… knotting off the top. Microwave the cloth for 30 seconds and 60 seconds for a rice bag. 10 second intervals after that until it is hot. Apply the heat to the affected area for 20 minutes and cool down for 5. Keep doing this until you feel the tension start to dissipate.

If you haven’t tried any of the alternative protocols, you may want to look into what is available in your area.

Look forward to hearing back from you…

Welcome to the forum. I'd have to agree with Syn. I read your post on what the orthodontist is trying to do, and it seems a bit like you're really having problems with your bite. I can understand a little bit of grinding, but it doesn't seem like they are getting your bite where it needs to be soon enough. I can understand trying to get your jaw in place as well, but you're in too much pain right now to continue the way it is. You need to be doing more to control the pain, and I think Syn has the right of it.

Another option is to request some muscle relaxers. I've found that they help me a lot. Even something that's safe to take on a regular basis like Skelaxin might be good for you. I take it for other conditions as well, and it seems to help with my jaw, too.

FWIW, my bite isn't correct, either, but we've only done a little tweaking and grinding here and there. They did impressions on both my upper and lowers and made me a lower dental appliance based on them. They've adjusted my bite a couple times to ensure that I slide over the appliance the way I need to, and they've adjusted it so that my teeth don't hit when I'm not wearing it in any way they don't want me to. But that's basically it. I personally think that messing too much with it could be detrimental to you, because if you've already had braces and dental appliances TWICE, it would seem to me your teeth and jaws want to be in a particular position, OR your jaw is degrading. In this case, it seems to me, there is more going on here than your orthodontist seems to unerstand. I'm not sure he really gets the TMJ issue you have, and I'd personally seriously consider how much further I'd want to go with this particular doctor. JMO, of course, so you can take it FWIW, but that's my opinion here.

Hope that helps some. *hugs*

Jen