I also had braces. Got them as an adult in 2004 (I was 35 at the time) and they came off in 2006. My pain started last year at the beginning of 2008 and I went down hill after that real fast. I had 5 root canals from June of 2008 - January of 2009. I thought it was ALL my teeth for the longest time and pain just got worse with more systoms occuring the longer and longer this was going on. I wanted to pull the teeth so bad and even attempted...but my dentist refused. He said it was not my teeth and I would regret pulling them.
All my pain is on the left side of my mouth. 4 root canals are on the left side. My pain started in my left ear and my lower jaw...felt like it was on fire at times but always a contant pain. I was always on antibiotics, because for some reason they would help but pain never went completely away... but would get worse after I was off of them...I could not eat on the left side of my mouth anymore after June of 2008. When I swallow my ear pops. I have ring tones and sometimes the hearing is gone for a few seconds. Then I started getting really bad headaches. Then my left side of face, eye, cheek, sinus and scalp starting hurting in January of 2009. 3 dentists, and 2 Endodonists telling me my teeth were fine, nothing was wrong with them...I should not be in this much pain because there was no nerves left in those teeth. I started to expore the medical side. But one Endodontist gave me a referral for a TMJ specialist. It took me 2 months to make that appt.
In March I found a TMJ specialist (very expensive but worth every penny) and got fitted for a guard. It was still hard to comprehend that all this pain was TMJ. I did not understand the disorder at all. So I put the TMJ on hold for a while to also get medical opinions if it was not dental related. So I also started treating with a Neurologist for pain management and a diagnosis. He did a MRI of the brain to rule out MS and any other issues with Brain or nerves or aneurysm (I was told I possibly had Trigeminal Neuralgia). He started me on muscle relaxers (which have helped me a lot). I went to an ENT to rule out sinus blockage. Had a CT scan done. Everything is fine there and he said all my symtoms sounded like classic TMJ. So I started to wear my guard again and have gotten some relief.
I have been in pain for almost one year now. Every day is a stuggle. But recently more managable. I still can not eat on the left side of my mouth... I drink through straws. Cold and Hot food sets it off. But I hear it can take 3-6 months for the splint to have full affect. So I am hopeful.
I found this website recently and have gotten comfort from reading the posting knowing that I am in the right direction now and excepting that this is a dialy part of my life now. I plan on seeking treatment with a chiro soon, because I come to the conculsion that my neck and shoulder issues are related to the TMJ as well.
Best of Luck to you. Maybe look into a TMJ specialist in your area vs. going with the braces. The Splint has helped me with easing the pain a little bit. I wear it all the time now!!!
