I think I have TMJ :( Help, please?

[february2003bride]

I posted a month ago about having jaw pain after a dental cleaning. A week after my appointment I was still having jaw pain that was on both sides and spreading to my ears, so I called my dentist. He suggested valium which I refused to take and ibuprofan which did help. During these three weeks I've had jaw pain on both sides, terrible ear pain, a whopper of a headache on Saturday (that I think was really my first ever migraine), dizziness, and now my jaw pops when I open and close it. Obviously, I've developed TMJ. I will be going to my doctor on Wed. for an "official" diagnosis.

My questions are...

1) Besides ibuprofran, is there anything else to help with the discomfort?

2) I've never had a problem with my jaw before and no symptoms before my dental cleaning. I had 16 x-rays done at that dental cleaning and they hygenist was extremely rough. Is it possible that I developed TMJ just from that? I'm not a grinder but I do find myself clenching my teeth.

3) I have to get a dental crown on a lower molar on Thursday. I'm so scared that if I get my crown while having TMJ symptoms, it will make my pain even worse afterwards. I'm considering canceling it while going through this and having it done with my TMJ is under control. Has anyone gotten a crown or cavity filled who had TMJ? Were you ok afterwards?

Thank you so much

 

[decodelighted]

You can try massaging the joint with strong circular motions .... clenching and releasing the jaw until you can get it fully relaxed .... alternate Tylenol and Motrin (so your kidney & liver each get some rest)

 

[VapidLapid]

At first I thought you meant Too Much Jewelry. Ive never heard of tmj, or too much jewelry either for that matter.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

TMJ wouldn't develop from just a rough cleaning. Did they explain what happens to the jaw to you? If you have a clicking in your jaw too the small disc between your jaw and where it connects pops out a bit. When the jaw is moved the tendon (I think. My dentist referred to it as a disc rubber band) snaps the disc back into place. I don't have pain with my TMJ - thankfully - so I don't know the solution for that. Custom night guards from the dentist help a lot. I think you should also be checked for an abscessed tooth. These are the EXACT symptoms that I had when my tooth was abscessed. Pain beginning in the jaw, moving to the ears, around the head and into migraines. It's also very difficult to treat abscessed tooth pain with OTC pain meds. I don't remember why - my root canal specialist explained it to me.

 

[february2003bride]

TMJ wouldn't develop from just a rough cleaning. Did they explain what happens to the jaw to you? If you have a clicking in your jaw too the small disc between your jaw and where it connects pops out a bit. When the jaw is moved the tendon (I think. My dentist referred to it as a disc rubber band) snaps the disc back into place. I don't have pain with my TMJ - thankfully - so I don't know the solution for that. Custom night guards from the dentist help a lot. I think you should also be checked for an abscessed tooth. These are the EXACT symptoms that I had when my tooth was abscessed. Pain beginning in the jaw, moving to the ears, around the head and into migraines. It's also very difficult to treat abscessed tooth pain with OTC pain meds. I don't remember why - my root canal specialist explained it to me.

Thanks Sparkly Blonde. I go Thursday so I'll find out if any teeth are abscessed or not. I just had full dental x-rays so wouldn't they have caught an abscess then? The jaw pain started the next day and it's on both sides of my jaw.

 

[february2003bride]

You can try massaging the joint with strong circular motions .... clenching and releasing the jaw until you can get it fully relaxed .... alternate Tylenol and Motrin (so your kidney & liver each get some rest)

Thank you Deco! I found some TMJ exercises online that I'm going to start doing.

 

[february2003bride]

At first I thought you meant Too Much Jewelry. Ive never heard of tmj, or too much jewelry either for that matter.

lol Vapid!

 

[Efe]

In one of Dr. Oz's books, he talks about an exercise to take the pressure off your jaw. You take a wine cork and insert it between your upper and lower teeth vertically (can do it horizontally if you need too) and just holding your mouth like that for five minutes a couple times a day. Sounds funny, but it realy does help.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I don't have TMJ but I have had an abscessed tooth and my pain was also very similar to what you described. It would also
come on pretty suddenly and I had to drive 4 hours to come home from a vacation with it and I literally had to pull over to the
side of the round because I would get dizzy and the pain would be so bad for a couple minutes. You mentioned that you were
getting a crown, did you have a root canal?

Have more x-rays done. The other thing about mouth pain is it radiates. You can have a problem on one side of your mouth and
feel the pain on the other side. I have had that too. Also sometimes when work is done a nerve becomes sensitive and you can
have shooting pains from that for a really long time afterward.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I am in denial but have been told by two different dentists I have TMJ. I also grind/clench so I have all sorts of jaw/teeth pain. Usually daily. I tried Soma for a week and it did not help at all. I have been using a mouth guard while sleeping and it has helped. Advil helps on bad days as well as hot compresses. There is really not much you can do. Surgery for those with bad cases.

ETA: also eating soft foods helps. Chewing excessively = pain for me. No gum.

 

[Treenbean]

About 2 years ago I had a dental cleaning. Started having pain right after. Two weeks later I called the dentist and told him about all the pain. He had me come back in checked my teeth and didn't find anything. 3 months later I am living on 4-8 advil a day. Doing exercises I found on the internet. Purchased anti-grinding horse bits to wear at night. 6 months later complained to GP who ordered a CT of my jaw that was negative. Found a TMJ specialist, who told me not to take any pain medicine when I went to see her. Pointed to where the pain was she injected me with novacaine. Pain went away almost immediately. Needed a freaking root canal, because when they cleaned my teeth they hurt the nerve somehow.
Hope this helps.

 

[dani13]

Ditto, Tacori. I could have written your post!!!!! Definitely stay away from foods that you have to chew alot with (hard breads, steak, etc). Don't chew gum. Put hot compresses on when you can. It just plain sucks

 

[missy]

Oh, I'm so sorry Feb03Bride! I really hope it is nothing serious and the specialist has a quick and painless fix for you.
Good luck with your appt!

 

[Miss Sparkly]

If you don't get a clear answer from your dentist then I very highly recommended being referred to an endodontist. My abscessed tooth did not show on xrays and we didn't even know the root was dead until it was tested by the endodontist with his equipment. He told me that some peoples roots die quickly and others, like mine, can take several months to go.

 

[missy]

If you don't get a clear answer from your dentist then I very highly recommended being referred to an endodontist. My abscessed tooth did not show on xrays and we didn't even know the root was dead until it was tested by the endodontist with his equipment. He told me that some peoples roots die quickly and others, like mine, can take several months to go.

Feb03Bride,
I totally agree with Sparkly Blonde. I had a few root canals unfortunately and I can verify that what Sparkly says is absolutely true. It can take time for these things to show up on X-Rays and an endodontist may be best equipped for making the diagnosis in that case.

 

[february2003bride]

Update

First, I want to thank every poster who gave me advice and shared their stories! I went to my GP on Wednesday and she said I had a clear cut case of TMJ/TMD, but that since she wasn't a dentist with xrays in front of her, that she couldn't give me a 100% diagnosis. She felt the lightheadedness was from me having some insomnia and then still going going going with my day, and have multiple days like that was starting to take a toll. She upped my ibuprofan and offered a steroid which I declined. She also said that TMJ couldn't have been caused by the xrays but rather, I probably had it without symptoms and having the rough xrays triggered my symptoms to appear.

Went to my dentist yesterday and he agreed with my GP. He did a mold and made me a mouth guard all within a few hours. We went ahead with my dental crown and my dentist is just awesome. He totally babied me the entire appointment, making sure my mouth was only open as far as neccessary, doing the grinding of my tooth in 15 second blocks and giving me multiple breaks to sit up, rinse, check my jaw, etc. The appointment took longer than normal, but not once did he rush my crown or make me feel that he was annoyed with having to go so slow. The only painful part was, I bit my tongue quite hard when I was numbed up, so that is quite sore today.

I started the night guard last night and was bracing for some major TMJ pain today after my crown, but nothing so far! I've taken the ibuprofan just once yesterday and as of right now don't see needing it today. I'm eating just soft foods for the next few days, just to be on the safe side.

Definitely no abscesses or root canals needed. He said my tooth that had the crown looked great and everything went smoothly!

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Good to hear that it's getting taken care of

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Your dentist sounds awesome! Hope the mouth guard works out for you!