I am glad I found this forum and I am
hoping someone has some suggestions. My
dentist years ago said he thought I had
TMJ. The only problem I was having then
was clenching my teeth at night. I still
do and I still will occassionaly wake up
with a headache. I do wear a night
guard.
About 2 1/2 years ago I lost my night
guard and had to have it replaced. During
this time I also eat a very hard/chewy
candybar. The next day I woke up not
being able to turn my neck. My jaw was so
sore. I could not look up without the
muscled under my chin feeling like they
were being stretched (not in a good way)
After six months my neck finally got
better and after another few months my jaw
did too. I wear my night guard every
night. My problem is in my bottom two
teeth down into my chin on the front side.
My teeth feel like I ate a hard piece of
fruit or like someone has been pushing
against them. The pain in my chin goes
into my teeth or maybe it is the other
way. If the pain gets too bad my top
teeth start to hurt. I can put in my
night guard and that helps. Funny but
when I wake up in the morning or from a
nap my teeth feel great for awhile. I
have had all the problems with my teeth
fixed. Could this be from TMJ. I do not
have pain near my ears. I do know I hold
my jaw tight but have 2 1/2 years it
should be use to it????????????
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catswold
Supporter
Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 404 Location: Flint, Michigan
Posted: 04-11-07 13:52pm
Hi mjs,
I started a post yesterday and just never
finished it. Sorry about that. It sounds
like you have TMJ but it's not to bad it
sounds like. TMJ is such a complicated
dysfunction that the doctors and dentists
are still having to learn and experiment
on us poor sufferers. The each person is
so different but yet similar. Plus, what
works for me may not work for you. It's
so confusing.
It sounds like you need to get control
over the clenching. That usually means
making sure there's nothing going on with
your bite like one part of a tooth higher
than all the rest. This can happen
anytime you have a cavity filled, etc. If
it's something simple like that, the
dentist can fix that easily, but be very,
very careful when anyone starts to do any
filing away on your tooth. They may go
too far and that would be bad.
You can try adding Magnesium to your daily
diet. It's suppose to help reduce
clenching (I don't know how, but it does
work). Probably the biggest enemy of TMJ
sufferers is stress and tension. Try
different methods to help your body relax
right down to the inner core, like
exercise, massage and/or physical therapy
regularly, Yoga, various kinds of
medications (I resisted medications for
years and finally broke down after 25
years; they do help). You have to try
different kinds; don't quit trying if the
first one or two don't help.
Anti-depressants can be the miracle drug
to pain sufferers. Prozac was the first
medication I tried and it worked great.
Later I read some studies that SSRI
anti-depressants (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil,
etc.) can cause users to clench more when
sleeping. I added the suggested
medication to combat that possible
side-effect (Buspar 7.5mg) and have had no
problems. I don't do well with muscle
relaxer, but some people do. You just
have to keep trying. Don't give up
without a fight.
Now, regarding your chin - am I correct to
say the location you are talking about is
not in the middle of the chin but off to
the side, almost underneath the corner of
the mouth? If so, a whole bunch of stuff
comes together at this area of the chin -
nerves, veins, glands and ganglions.
Anything can go wrong. I must also add
that it could be a tooth problem. If it
gets too problematic, you might want to
consider trigger-point injections. I have
not tried them, but I know many TMJers who
have and they seem to help them. The
injections themselves are painful but
later they help reduce the pain.
I've babbled on long enough. I hope I've
given you some ideas that might help.
Take care and please let us know how you
are doing.
God bless...
Carol
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mjs
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 2
Posted: 04-11-07 14:33pm
Thank you for your response. The area is
right in the middle of the front of my
chin. The pain runs straight up between
my bottom two teeth. I will try the
supplement
Thanks
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Tmddyan
Moderator
Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 4349 Location: post falls, id usa
Thanks: 93
Thanked:63
Hey There Posted: 05-02-07 13:16pm
somehow this post excaped my attention. i
must have been over drugged. If you need
to find a good tmd doc im your gal. hang
in there. there is hope and Carol and I
will help you through all of this as best
as we can.
