Wellness

[tends2dogs]

My DH was "diagnosed" with this by his PCP.  He really didn't offer much to relieve the pain other than try a mouth guard.

He has since seen two other doctors for other things and asked them.  They basically said the same thing about the mouth guard.  One actually has it herself.

An OTC guards was what they recommended.  Has anyone had luck with a mouth guard?  Do you have a certain one that worked?

Also, have you found anything else that has worked to lessen the pain. This seemed to come on suddenly and he isn't finding much relief. 

TIA

[Desertdi]

Does your husband take PROLIA?   Jaw pain is a side effect of that drug.

[On It]

My TMJ was treated by my dentist. A custom splint (mouth guard) was made by the dental lab to fit my bite. The dentist balances the splint by adjusting here and there to get the bite stabilized. The headaches and jaw pain are relieved once the bite is stabilized and the bruxing stops.

I sleep in my splint every night. If I am stressed or upset, I wear it during the day and only remove it to eat.

[HisElk1]

@tends2dogs , yes, I have had it for about 2 years.  I had my dentist make me a night guard (they're not cheap) that fits my teeth. 

I will say they can take awhile to get used to; however, if I don't wear it while sleeping, I really feel it the next day.  When I go to bed at night, I usually stay up and watch a bit of TV, but always put it in before in the event I doze off.

Like I said, they can be pricey; however, IMO, they are worth it.

HTH and good luck!

[moonandthestars]

@tends2dogs Hi, I had terrible tmj.   I had accupunture treatments which were very helpful and then I also found a chiropractor who worked with my jaw, massaged muscles in the jaw joint and helped with alignment there and mobility.   That was gamechanging for me. It does take some time to really make a difference.   Some dentists will do the same sort of thing (not that many tho).  I know someone who used a customized mouthpiece that was made for him by his dentist and he's to wear it as often as possible.  He's found it helpful.

I think the non custom mouthguards are mostly good to people who might have a tendency to grind or clench their teeth.  I don't know how well they reverse tmj - but maybe?  I would think that would be a good idea after he improves to make sure he maintains good results and would think that a customized guard might be the way to go as the tmj is probably caused by or his current state is that the jaw/teeth are not in correct alignment.  Just my thoughts tho.

[Mz iMac]

@tends2dogs 

The 2 folks I know w/TMJ were diagnosised by dentist.  Their pain must be bad because both are on rx - 800mg Ibuprofen or 500mg Naproxen "as needed."

[gwiz]

I have had TMJ off and on for 60 years.  In my 20s a dentist made me an appliance which I wore for decades.  It greatly helped with the jaw pain and it only flared up occasionally.  Then 10 or 15 years ago it quit working, and I had TMJ pain constantly.  My theory was that with the aging process my mouth and jaw underwent "changes" like the rest of my body and I quit using the appliance.

Since then I have had to deal with it as it flares, and actually it has been extremely sore for the last two weeks.  I tried the OTC appliances and they did not help me.  Advil helps with the pain.  Experts in the field recommend eating soft foods to get the jaw to calm down----nothing hard or crunchy.

TMJ can be hard to diagnose because the pain mimics toothache pain.  Years ago the experts were recommending an operation on the jaw to correct this condition, and that turned out to be a bad idea.....I don't think they do that anymore.  I never considered that because it seemed too extreme to me.

I hope your husband will turn out to have a mild case and he can get that jaw joint to calm down.

[AZfem]

@tends2dogs I also have this problem & my dentist recommended mouth guards too.

 She did say if this doesn't work, she would refer me to a dentist who specializes in jaw problems.  Probably should see your dentist for help with this. 

[WRXtoo]

My previous post disappeared, so I'll try again:

My TMJ issues stem from clenching my jaw/tension or sleeping on it wrong.  A custom mouth guard didn't help me, but I found a way to deal with the painful headaches.  I take 1-2 Aleve (depending on pain level) and 1-2 Benadryl to make me sleepy.  I discovered that sleep helps my muscles relax while the pain killers work.  I rest sitting in a chair to avoid putting pressure on my jaw.

An orthodontist prescribed a muscle relaxant (Flexeril) several years ago and it was a revelation--now I use the Benadryl to do the same thing.  Headaches so bad they make you nauseous are horrid.  I'd rather sleep through it. 

Good luck to your husband.

ETA:  I've heard nothing good at all about surgery for this, so be careful there.

[Effie54]

Yup, I've had it. It's not easy to get rid of. I went to a dental who specializes in TMJ, and I took Flexeril at night for awhile to loosen the jaw muscles. Some TMJ is caused by clenching at night, or malocclusion. The custom dental nightguard is good....if you have a decent bite. If not, it can wreak havoc on your bite. For myself, I chose orthodontics. When I'm finished with braces, I'll use retainers at night.