STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

member · Hermes

Help Me - TMJ

CarrieS · Marc Jacobs

I have this and have had it for 5 years now. What I have to do is wear a mouth guard every night prevent me from grinding my teeth. You probably grind your teeth and that is making you top teeth sit on your bottom teeth weird (from the wearing away from grinding). When this happens, it makes your jaw sit "off", making those muscles overactive to correct the "off" sitting. This, obviously, makes your jaw sore.

Honestly, you'll need to go back to your dentist. For me, when I've had jaw pain, I've had my teeth re-shaped (via an electronic file-not painful at all), so that they sit correctly on top of each other, hence making my jaw sit fine as well. Wearing the mouthguard, plus the teeth filing has helped my jaw to stop hurting.

I actually have to go in in a couple of weeks to get my teeth re-shaped again, because the right side of my jaw has recently started hurting (This all started with the left side 5 years ago).

Hope that helps some! Any more questions, feel free to ask me!

member · Hermes

CarrieS - here's the thing, I don't grind my teeth. They sit perfectly on top of eachother and always have, and aren't wearing away at all. My boyfriend says I never grind and we can tell the difference - his teeth are wearing away because he grinds, but I really, really don't think I do. I don't that's the cause of my problem. Do you know any other cause or solutions? Thanks!

CarrieS · Marc Jacobs

Hmmm, I'm at a loss there. I really only know about my own situation. I still say go to your dentist; he might recommend a mouth guard anyways.

I just did a quick Google search and this site seems pretty informative on things that can cause it, not just teeth grinding. There's some stuff on things like your jaw joint just not working properly, etc.

Here's the site: http://www.healiohealth.com/TMJ-syndrome.html

Overall, your dentist is going to be the one to tell you for sure what caused it and what to do about it.

Mia · Kate Spade

My sister has had this for almost her whole life, but it got much worse when she was a teenager. One thing the dentist told her was that some people get this when they are born, if the doctor delivering the baby uses forceps. So my sister came home and asked my mom and sure enough, apparently she was a very long forceps birth and the forceps were on her jaw, pulling, for a long time.

Isn't that weird? I never would have thought of that. Anyway, my sister is not a tooth grinder either and the dentist told her that there's not a lot that can be done other than trying hard to not 'play' with it - i.e. don't be popping and cracking your jaw just idly, and try not to open your mouth too wide when eating/speaking etc. Not very helpful, sorry.

member · Hermes

quote:
Originally posted by: Mia
"My sister has had this for almost her whole life, but it got much worse when she was a teenager. One thing the dentist told her was that some people get this when they are born, if the doctor delivering the baby uses forceps. So my sister came home and asked my mom and sure enough, apparently she was a very long forceps birth and the forceps were on her jaw, pulling, for a long time. Isn't that weird? I never would have thought of that. Anyway, my sister is not a tooth grinder either and the dentist told her that there's not a lot that can be done other than trying hard to not 'play' with it - i.e. don't be popping and cracking your jaw just idly, and try not to open your mouth too wide when eating/speaking etc. Not very helpful, sorry. "

Hmm, I'll have to ask my mom what kind of birth I had! I would have never, ever have thought that to be a cause - how odd.

That's what my dentist told me at first too - that not a lot can be done for it. Just don't crack it and don't chew gum

But now that it's getting worse, I think I'm going to go see my dentist.

member · Hermes

Great website CarrieS - thanks for posting. Look at some of the causes I found of TMJ:

TMJ can also be caused by bad posture, habits such as cradling the telephone between the shoulder and jaw, habits such as gum chewing, and chewing excessively on one side of the mouth.

Geez, I could have it from any of those things!

lsubatgirl · Gucci

I have a mild case of TMJ. I got it from a car accident I was in in the 5th grade. Mine acts up when I chew gum regularly, eat lots of tortilla chips at dinner, or lots of nuts after I work out for a few days in a row. I just stay away from some of these foods or follow up the next day with not chewing a lot of hard foods and it seems to be ok. I do grind my teeth though and I know that is a problem and can make it worse. Sometimes I don't even realize that I'm doing it. My mom is a bad sleeping grinder and she wears the mouth guards and it helps her out tremendously. You might want to try it out because you might not realize you are grinding when you are asleep.

Elle · Hermes

It can actually be hormonally related as well. Apparently there are estrogen receptors that are located on the mandibular joint. When those are full, the joint swells and causes pain. Could that be it for you?

sfclinevandy · Coach

I have it too... but mine is from clenching my teeth. I do it when I'm stressed during the day and when I sleep regardless of stress. When you clench in your sleep, it's 10x harder than you would do when conscious. I sleep in a mouthguard which has saved my teeth but my jaw is still sore and is always popping.

What I do is get regular massages. My therapist is really good and spends a lot of time working on my jaw. I'm also looking into acupuncture and hypnosis (I would be hypnotized to not clench while I sleep). I haven't done either yet but I think I'm going to try one this summer.

layell · BCBG

My doctor diagnosed me a couple of months ago. The only thing he could do was to give me some painkillers (higher dose Motrin) and send me back to my dentist for a mouth guard. I had no idea what TMJ was until he told me.

I mentioned it to my grandmother (retired nurse) and she knew what it was from work and because one of my aunts had it. I think I've had it for at least ten years (I stopped chewing gum in high school because it gave me headaches).

On bad days, I get headaches and a slight bump forms under each ear (the swelling I guess). It tends to really flare up when my other arthritis does, rainy damp days.

I can't remember what magazine had a story on TMJ recently... I think Essence or Oprah. It mentioned that some people with very severe cases had to have surgery to ease the symptoms.

I didn't know so many people had TMJ.

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

I have it too, mine is stress induced I think. I started seeing a physical therapist and he gave me some jaw stretches and isometrics as well as neck stretches, chest stretches, back stuff and postural exercises. He also worked on my jaw, back, and neck when I went in for a visit. I never got myself a mouth guard but I know I should. I suggest looking into a guard and seeing a physical therapist.

CarrieS · Marc Jacobs

I'll once again praise the mouthguard too. When this all started for me, the pain was on the left side of my mouth and after i started wearing my mouthguard, the it eventually went away. Now 5 years later, the left side hasn't hurt once since then.

Unfortunately, now the right side has started up, but that's why I'm going back to get my teeth filed. Hopefully with that and my mouthguard, the right side will also stop hurting.

Some of the techniques that the other girls here mentioned will probably also help ease the pain, but I think long term solution is probably going to be getting a mouthguard. Only your dentist will tell you for sure though.

SFCLINEVANDY: I clench my teeth too. Usually when I wake up in the morning, I find myself clenching my teeth together tightly, like I just can't bite down hard enough. I also find my jaw doing it too when I'm even just laying down on my couch and relaxing, awake. I actually have to make a conscious effort and tell myself to unclench. Very weird...

-- Edited by CarrieS at 02:09, 2005-04-27

member · Hermes

Thank you all for your advice! I think if anything, I probably clench my teeth and don't know it - I don't think I'm a grinder. While I realize I could be and not know it, I do go to the dentist regularly and my teeth are not filed down or anything. I think I will make an appt. w/my dentist and tell him how much worse it has gotten.

Daiz519 - has the physical therapist helped at all?

mikacat · Coach

i had a mouth guard made about 3 months ago ($600), took advil and quit eating salad, pizza and anything chewy.

my dentist said salad and pizza were the worst for TMJ.

i was on a diet of pudding, soup, liquids, mashed potatoes, etc. for a month.

now it is better!!!

member · Hermes

quote:
Originally posted by: mikacat
"i had a mouth guard made about 3 months ago ($600), took advil and quit eating salad, pizza and anything chewy. my dentist said salad and pizza were the worst for TMJ. i was on a diet of pudding, soup, liquids, mashed potatoes, etc. for a month. now it is better!!!"

Tell me you're joking! I almost cried when you said to stop eating salad - that is a staple in my diet..I eat that almost every day! I can't give that up!

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

shopchicago--the therapist did help. I never realized that I could barely widen my mouth. When he evaluated me he told me that he noticed just by talking to me that I barely open/move my mouth when I talk. He measured it and after just one visit he had me opening a lot wider than at first. The only hard thing about it was fitting it into my schedule. So I only saw him about 3 times and then decided I couldn't do it forever and I'd just have to do my stretches/exercises on my own. NOW the hard part is remembering to do them!! When I do the stretches it helps. Also, avoiding things like chewing gum (and pizza and salad as someone else said) helps me a lot. I love chewing gum but I have had to cut down a lot. When I do chew it, my jaw starts to hurt. Anyhow, about the therapist, in my case he thinks that there are various things that cause me to clench--stress, bad posture, no mouth guard. I think it would be worth it in your case to see a therapist at least a few times just to become more knowledgable about it. Mine gave me a little pamphlet about TMJ. Oh and another thing, you can ice and/or apply heat to ease the pain. hope that helps!

mikacat · Coach

i am with you shopchicago---

the dentist said you need to be on a soft diet.

And i said, i eat salad everyday and even that hurts ---

He said salad was one of the worst things b/c it involved so much chewing---you need to eat things you just swallow---pretend you're 11 months old.

i almost died!! PUDDING, jello, mashed carrots, babyfood, soup, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, slimfast, shakes, yogurt,

things like that....it doesn't last forever and now i am eating salad again---it was worth it.

member · Hermes

quote:
Originally posted by: mikacat
"i am with you shopchicago--- the dentist said you need to be on a soft diet. And i said, i eat salad everyday and even that hurts --- He said salad was one of the worst things b/c it involved so much chewing---you need to eat things you just swallow---pretend you're 11 months old. i almost died!! PUDDING, jello, mashed carrots, babyfood, soup, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, slimfast, shakes, yogurt, things like that....it doesn't last forever and now i am eating salad again---it was worth it."

mikacat - what happened that you are now able to eat salad again? Did you cure your TMJ?

blubirde · Chanel

My mom has TMJ (she swears I have it too but whatever, she's no doctor). She got a mouthguard made also but she wore hers during the day. She didn't change anything she ate but when the pain would start for her (she got headaches), she'd just pop in the mouthguard for a few hours and it would go away and be good after that.

Anyway, that was a couple years ago and she hardly ever breaks out her mouthguard now. But she had to go to her dentist to get it.

Also I recommend doing some relaxing exercises before you go to bed so you can release the tension in your jaw. I'm a bad clencher when I get stressed and it really helps, night or day but especially before I go to sleep.