My jaw has been killing me since last night. I don't know why... it feels totally out of joint and I can't clench my teeth on the left side of my mouth, but I can on the right. Like my jaw doesn't close all the way. It's not necessarily painful, just very uncomfortable. I just tried to eat lunch and it was no fun My hubby has a mild case of TMJ, so he thinks that's what I might have. Last night he was pressing on the sides of my face and asking me to open and close my mouth, and my jaw was literally snapping shut! It felt so weird. I thought it would go away but it didn't... does anyone have TMJ out there? Do you think that's what it could be for me? What should I do if it doesn't get better, go to my regular doctor?
Thanks for your help ladies
jennbaby
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I have it.
Your dentist needs to make you a mouth guard to sleep with at night.
Excessive talking also aggravates it.
Feel better I know how painful it can be.
Misty
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
Yep I have it. You can go to your dentist and he/she will fit you for a night brace..a clay form of sorts for your teeth to sit in at night. It's just a tray that helps keep your jaw inline. TMJ is most commonly caused by gritting our teeth in our sleep beleive it or not. Stress contributes to flare ups also!
When I start to lock up, a warm compress on my jaw really helps a lot. Take a couple of advil also.
Lunatrek
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
Wow, excessive talking, that was me last night! I had dinner with my Nana and told her all about my honeymoon. My DH also says how much I grind my teeth at night, too... oh boy, off to the dentist I go!
Thank you so much, as always!!!!
jennbaby
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
DH says I used to grind like crazy!!!!! The mouth piece helped me so much! No more pain!!!
Cindy
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I have it. I had oral surgery a few years back (unrelated to TMJ) and I believe it made it worse I dont have pain with it though. I have a friend who has terrible headaches and pain from it though.
Teri
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
yup -I have that too - I was fitted for a mouth guard about 4 yrs ago and that's helped a lot. I don't think there's much else that can be done.
Sage10.03
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I have it.... I use a mouth guard my dentist made me that fits to my bottom teeth.... It helps, but I don't wear it every night like I should.... I've been grinding a lot lately and need to start wearing mine more often....
Jordan
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I have it too. I've been fitted for a few nightgurads - I find the bottom one to work best. But I grind right through them .
Warm, moist, herbal compresses have helped me with flare ups. Physical therapy worked MIRACLES on my jaw - I was unable to open it enough to get a fork in my mouth...within a few days of therapy, I was doing much better.
Advil works good also - b/c the muscles in your face tighten up and can cause the tension also. The muscles around my jaw were literally as hard as a rock when I went for PT.
I would definetly recommend going to your dentist...and if it's really bad, s/he should be ablt to recommend PT for you (my ins. co. covered the visits).
sept20yay!
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
have it. got it from wedding planning and stress. I wear a nightguard.
sept20yay!
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
another good way to check for it is to feel under your chin. two nodules are usually soar, tender and painful. It almost feels like your glands are swollen but it is really your jaw miscles coming to head under there. i went to an ent who did that to me and I was in sooo much pain. he was like. yep tmj.
Jeanene
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I have it too . It is really a nuisance!
goldilocks
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I had it really bad back in college, couldn't open my mouth more than enough for a fork! I got my wisdom teeth out and it helped, with the night guard that I got too. I still get it mildly, like I feel it click and sometimes it can literally get knocked out of alignment. Intimate moments have been affected....(eh hem...) But I also go to a chiropracter who helps. He basically massages the jaw joints while I open and close my mouth which hurts like H*LL!!! Similar to physical therapy I guess.
CatchI22
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
Go see your dentist ASAP. It sounds like TMJ to me. They will be able to help you.
I had it BAD. I even had to get jaw surgery (they broke my jaw and put it back together in a different fashion) bc of the severe pain i was in. All the grinding caused my jaw to lock and click. I had bad headaches and sinus problems as well. Eventually I got arthritis in my jaw. The grinding was AWFUL. I used to use a nightguard but I would somehow remove it in my sleep. Now I am TMJ free and couldn't be happier. no more pain when i try to eat!
Good luck!
jennbaby
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
Catch
Wow I never knew so many of us share this lovlely pain
Jordan
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
Catch - the first dentist I went to wanted me to go for the surgery. I wasn't comfortable with the 'what-if's' so I went the nightguard/PT route with some success. I'm happy to hear that you had success with the surgery though!
CatchI22
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
CP- I put the surgery off for YEARS. One oral surgeon I went to to get teeth removed wanted to do it when I was like 14. But it got sooo bad, the bite was off and it was a long process (the surgery route). I had to get braces on to fix the bite before the surgery, braces in your 20's is not fun! Plus the jaw was pretty sore for while, I was out of work for a month afterwards. But I look TOTALLY different now, the surgery changed the shape of my face and def improved my health... i was a mouth breather before and now am not!
But... if the mouthguard did work for me I would have been happy with that!
spazybride04
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
I got it too.... don't have the money to go to the dentist for it so i went and bought a sport mouth piece like they use for hockey or whatever.. seems to be working...
good luck and feel better!
deby
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Re: Does anyone have TMJ?
Try the nightguard... Although I have woken up so many times from the sound of me pounding my teeth on it... I think I get p' offed that I can't grind so I start really pounding on the poor thing!
Also, I take magnesium every day (pill form). I read a couple of studies that people who grind teeth/clench jaw are usually magnesium deficient as well. When I take it regularly, I see a big difference!
