I have a question for all of you. First of
all, I am 26 yrs old and I've had TMJ for
10 years now from a skiing accident.
About 5 years ago I noticed that my face
is not as symmetrical as it once was. I
didn't notice it after my accident, but
then I lost around 50 lbs (5 years ago)
and it became more noticable to me. The
asymmetry hasn't changed over the years
(hasn't gotten worse). But the left side
of my face is def more full than the
right. My jaw line is distinguished on the
left side of my face, but much flatter and
less noticable on the right side. Also, if
I tilt my head back and look in the
mirror, I can see that the right side of
my jaw bone is lower and pushed in closer
to my neck.... if that makes any sense. I
also talk out of the left side of my mouth
and the right side of my lip droops
slightly. Everyone says that it isn't very
noticable but I feel like they are just
trying not to hurt my feelings! I feel
like it's all I see when I look in the
mirror!!! I'll even torture myself by
getting a hand mirror and looking through
it into my bathroom mirror and critiquing
my face at different angles. Kinda like
how you can't help but look in those 3 way
mirrors in the dressing rooms, YIKES!
Also, when I open my mouth my jaw shifts
well to the left side. And the little
round joint thing (I forget what it's
called) only pops out on the right side..
I cannot feel that joint on the left side
at all. But again, I rarely have pain, it
is just more of an annoyance than
anything.
But back to my original problem. Do any
of you have permanent facial asymmetry
from TMJ? Do you know if there are any
treatments for it? My bite is even, but I
feel like the right side of my face is
sagging more than the left. Like if I bite
down slowly, my left teeth touch before my
right... but they still line up top to
bottom. My dentist just keeps blowing me
off and offering me a night guard to keep
me from grinding my teeth while I'm
sleeping!!
I am so self concious of the way my face
looks!! What do you guys think? Anything I
can do?
Sorry for the long post. Have a great
day!
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grassy
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 116 Location: northeast
Hi, Please Dont Worry Posted: 09-18-07 12:06pm
Hi please dont worry..... try not to get
upset about that, please. you will drive
yourself crazy and get more upset. tell
yourself... Nope i'm not going to worry
about that. i think alot of people that
have tmj have that. my face used to be
like that, but it has straightened out. if
you dwell on it, you are going to get
yourself more tense and upset. i
understand, really i do. i am 46,an old
bat now..... but i remember worrying about
my looks alot at age 26.... i bet you are
pretty and everyone loves you, and others
dont even notice it ... hope that helps
love cindy
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 09-18-07 12:42pm
First off - facial asymmetry is very
normal. Most people do NOT have a
symmetrical face. There have even been TV
shows about how the human face is
different from side to side. It's quite
interesting.
I imagine the weight loss has made you
much more self conscious. By the way,
congratulations and way to go!!
The mouth really shouldn't deviate when
your mouth opens, though, but it is also
not all that abnormal if doing so. If you
have popping and/or pain, you really
should consider a bite splint. But I
think I'd go to a different dentist that
your current one if his attitude is like
you say. You might want to check out a
neuromuscular dentist.
God bless...
Carol
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Hey Posted: 09-18-07 13:00pm
i have an asymetrical face. it is fixable
to a degree. you shouldnt have any
deviation in any direction. if you need
help finding a neuromuscular dentist let
me know.
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ATC813
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 2
Posted: 09-18-07 22:17pm
Thank you all so much! Even though I
obsess about it, sometimes it's nice to
know that others experience the same
thing. I know that I obsess about it much
more than I should. Sometimes I feel like
people are staring at my mouth when I'm
talking, then it makes me really self
conscious....
I asked my mom about it and she said that
I've always had a cute crooked smile, even
as a child. So who knows, maybe my face
has always been slightly off. I think the
TMJ has def made it a little worse, but
again, the weight loss probably
accentuates it alot. I used to have a very
full, round face, and now I finally have a
jaw line (crooked or not! lol).
I am working outside of the US right now,
but will be back in February. So at that
time I'll start looking for a good
nueromuscular dentist. If I can't find
one, then I'll come looking for some help
Thank you all for
your support. It means more than you
know.
Take care
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 09-19-07 12:31pm
ATC813
wrote:
Thank you all so much! Even
though I obsess about it, sometimes it's
nice to know that others experience the
same thing. I know that I obsess about it
much more than I should. Sometimes I feel
like people are staring at my mouth when
I'm talking, then it makes me really self
conscious....
I asked my mom about it and she said that
I've always had a cute crooked smile, even
as a child. So who knows, maybe my face
has always been slightly off. I think the
TMJ has def made it a little worse, but
again, the weight loss probably
accentuates it alot. I used to have a very
full, round face, and now I finally have a
jaw line (crooked or not! lol).
I am working outside of the US right now,
but will be back in February. So at that
time I'll start looking for a good
nueromuscular dentist. If I can't find
one, then I'll come looking for some help
Thank you all for
your support. It means more than you
know.
Take care
If you want to get started now i can still
find a neuromuscular dentist where ever
you are. do contact me when you get back
Im eager to help you.
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lalaleo
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 4
Re: Facial Asymmetry?! Posted: 01-09-08 11:42am
hey i have the exact same problem! and it
irritates the hell out of me! so have u
found a solution yet? pls tell me too
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-09-08 15:40pm
yes just pm me with any questions
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lalaleo
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 01-11-08 10:21am
haha ok have u done the surgery yet?
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-11-08 14:12pm
me---yes ive had 3 surgeries
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lalaleo
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 01-13-08 10:11am
SERIOUS? haha, where did u have it done?
and how much was it? What was the recovery
period like? and 3 surgeries-tts a lot
rite?
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-13-08 15:59pm
well compared to some people that have not
had very good surgeons that is nothing. i
had 2 done here in the idaho area and i
had one done in detroit michigan. Recovery
can take up to a couple of years--however
i for the most part feel so much bettert.
Price depends on what kind of surgery you
have and what state you are in. some
doctors charge different prices. my last
was over 50k. my first was 800 and my
second was over 1k--i dont really remember
lol
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lalaleo
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 01-14-08 10:21am
do u have before and after pics?
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-14-08 13:42pm
yes i do--but id have to email them to
you--pm it to me and ill send them to you.
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thenumber12
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 21 Location: , Los Angeles, CA
Posted: 01-17-08 03:39am
I'm wondering how nmd would help treat an
assymetrical face. I have it as well due
to how my teeth were positioned with
braces and it's relapsing but now my tmjs
don't work in unison and both sides make
grating noises. I'm wondering because with
the help of elastics my upper jaw shifted
in a way where when you fold your upper
lips up, the midline on my gum slants now.
It got a lot straighter but it seems as if
only time (relapse) could truly fix this
problem. How would nmd help? And now my
jaws open in a zig zag or laterally.
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-17-08 13:22pm
yes nmd would help. this is more than
likly caused by your muscles not knowing
what to do. I have little or no deviation
now because of them nmd.
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Biani
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 161 Location: ,
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 01-18-08 20:24pm
Hi. I have an asymmetrical face too, and i
think i have tmj. My jaw pops on the right
side a lot, almost always when i yawn,
sometimes when i eat. My chin is a tad bit
to the left, and the right side of my
mouth and surrounding area looks droopy
compared to the left.
It makes me very self conscious, but
people don't seem to notice, or they're
too nice to say anything, i don't know.
Only my boyfriend has told me he notices.
Even before i didn't know what was wrong
with my face, all i knew is i looked ugly
in the pictures they take for school where
you have to face straight ahead... i
didn't know quite why, i always thought it
was because i was making a weird face, but
that's just how it is, weird. I know
everyone's face is asymmetrical, but most
faces you can at least trace a line down
the middle and have it pass down the
center of your forehead, nose, mouth and
chin. I do that, my nose sticks out to the
right, and mi mouth to the left, in a way
that if i were to connect the middle
points of each of these features, i'm left
with a zig zag line! it's awful...
If anyone know how this is fixed, please
tell me too.
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-20-08 15:36pm
it sure sounds like tmd--nmd could help do
you have any muscle spasms?
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thenumber12
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 21 Location: , Los Angeles, CA
Posted: 01-22-08 16:03pm
dyan - I agree that my muscles are causing
a lot of the problems as well as my teeth.
One side of my lower jaw hangs a bit lower
than the other as well. Can you tell me in
greater detail how nmd can help to correct
this? I have this new found phobia of
getting any work done w/o knowing the
details after orthodontics. Also will they
be creating a "new" bite out of the
current teeth positioning or will they
help get my old position back or a bit of
both and how? The process of nmd being
described to me bearing my situation in
mind will help me out a lot. Thanks a
bunch.
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4346 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Posted: 01-22-08 16:09pm
Lets just say that nmd would put the
muscles into there proper position working
with the bite that you have now. They
(the muscles and the teeth) would work as
a team as they should. I know about being
skeptical--ive been through too much to
not be. Depending on the case--HOw they
do it varies. youd have to have the
consultation and discuss it with him. more
than likely they will use the bite taht
you have now.
Thank you all for
your support. It means more than you
know.
