Question about TMJ.?

Question

My husband has what we think is TMJ. He has horrific pain off and on, mostly at night, loud popping when he eats, ect. His PCP didn't want to even talk about TMJ but gave him some none narcotic pain meds for his headaches. We have an appointment with a dentist but it seems no one wants to have anything to do with this problem. That is, except for Myofacial Pain Specialist that cost a couple of thousand dollars that we don't have in our back pocket. The dentist said he can look at him and maybe make a brace for him but said it won't get better for months.

Any comments/advise?

Answer 1

Definitely sounds like TMJ. Put him on a "soft diet" so he isn't putting pressure on his jaw when eating. Foods that you could eat without teeth are basically what the diet should be made up of. Soups, pureed foods, cooked veggies such as peas, potatoes, or carrots. Puddings, rices, yogurts, etc.

Also, have him use hot compresses and muscle relaxers. See about getting him a mouth guard for while he sleeps. This will relieve a little of the pain and keep him from grinding his teeth.

Try to cut back on some expenses and save to see the Myofacial specialist..it's wickedly expensive, but I think very worth it. God bless :-)

Answer 2

There is no cure for TMJ. The primary cause is stress. Your husband might want to take up some form of relaxation like yoga or meditation. If (and only if) your husband clenches his teeth at night, then a splint from the dentist might help, and might not. If he doesn't clench, then there is nothing whatsoever the dentist can do.

If you are very rich, you can have extremely painful surgery on your TMJ joint, but even that might just make it worse, not better. The reason nobody wants to talk about it (except the dentist who would like to sell an expensive splint) is that there is nothing they can do.

Answer 3

I have TMJ myself. Suffered for years because of excessive chewing habit. My suggestion is to go to your dentist. I was originally fitted with a plastic mouth gaurd thingy that prevented me from grinding my teeth at night. I had episodes later of my mouth locking open/closed. I actually had the mouth guard in one night, and mouth locked shut. It was terrifying. Had an emergency trip to the dentist in the morning. I began tens therapy. It relieved some of the pain due to swelling. TMJ occurs when the disc your jaw moves on does not move properly in its runner. My disc deteriorated so significantly that I had to have them removed. My jaw now moves my ligaments instead of discs. It is a terrible process to have surgery. I could not eat solid foods for 6 months. I sustained on scrambed eggs and mashed potato soup.
My jaw locked up because the disc was so damaged it would fold and act as a door stop, preventing my jaw from opening. It's been 5 years since surgery, and i will NEVER chew gum agian. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I suggest getting a dentist/ortho surgeon suggestions. They don't do surgery often, but it is done, living proof.

Answer 4

TMJ means temporomandibular joint. What you are referring to is actually TMD which means temporomandbular dysfunction.

If he has TMD, massage from a neuromuscular therapist or myofascial therapist may be the best solution.

It depends on your specific condition. The therapist must evaluate you to determine if there is any help they can do for you.

I am not sure where you live, but you can go to www.nmtmidwest.com/discussion and post a message for either more information or to possibly find a therapist in your area that specializes in TMD issues.

Answer 5

An orthodontist might be able to help.
If he is willing to wear braces. Even if his teeth dont LOOK crooked, his 'bite' may be off. It has helped alot of people with it.

My sisters dentist filed certain spots on her teeth to relieve pressure and that helped her ALOT.

One thing that he should try, is something he can do NOW.
Go to walmart and get one of the rubber bite pieces to wear on your teeth...you can find them over in the toothpaste section.
It is a HUGE help to wear one of these while you sleep if you suffer from tmj.
Good luck, hope he finds relief soon.

Answer 6

I had TMJ and it is very painful and the only thing that they say
that they can do about it is for you to take IBPROFEN (sp?)
anyway, I am sorry to hear that he is suffering, its terrible
to have TMJ

Answer 7

You might want to see an ENT Doctor for this. Injections sometimes help that they give. Good Luck.

Answer 8

My comment:
It sucks!