TMJ Forum - Is It Possible That My Dentist Inadvertantly Caused My Tmd?

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Q: Is It Possible That My Dentist Inadvertantly Caused My Tmd?

asked by: Duchessljb on July 22nd, 2007

Experienced User

Hello! I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with TMD being caused by a dental procedure. I'll try to explain in as much detail as possible.

On June 25th of this year, I had two cavities filled; one in a lower right side back tooth, one in the upper left back. A week earlier, on June 19th, I had 3 cavities filled on the upper left side of my mouth (my bad for not keeping up my dental visits...). During the first procedure, I was given a bite block to use (which makes it possible for you to relax your jaw while still being open), but not during the second procedure.

My symptoms began (I believe) on June 27th, two days after my last appointment. The first thing I noticed was a ringing in my left ear, some soreness there as well as some slight pressure and the feeling that the ear needed to 'pop.' I figured ear infection. Well, most adult ear infections go away on their own, so there you have it. Then I started getting a headache from the ear area up into my temple. "O.k." I think, "This is weird... why would my migraines be coming back after all this time of not having them?" But hey, migraines it is, even if it is only all on one side... There's that one.

After that, I start getting this massive pain in the left side of my mouth, in the gum and surrounding areas, particularly after I eat. No problem.... the dentist said my teeth would be sensitive to heat and cold for a week or two after the fillings, and since I have an ice cold Diet Coke with just about every meal, that one's explained.

Finally, I start getting a soreness and tight feeling in my throat, similar to the glands swelling and blocking off your throat; felt a little bit like I had tonsillitis, but only on the left side. Well, no biggie; the ear infection may have spread a little to the glands. Still nothing to be overly concerned about.

The symptoms I've listed all occurred within about a 2 day period after I got the last of the fillings done, so I still figured they were either related to that OR parts of other issues altogether (the ear infection). For the most part, I seemed to be waking up just fine (albeit with a slight amount of jaw pain) and by the end of the night when I go to bed, I have the full out headache, jaw pain, earache, neck tension and swollen glands. Like clockwork.

It isn't until July 4th rolls around, and I'm popping my second round of 800 mg of Ibuprofen that I realize that I've been popping about 1600 mg of ibuprofen everyday for the past week and a half (not to mention the 400 mg of Tylenol PM at night in order to get to sleep). O.k., I'm getting concerned... shouldn't this be going away by now...?

On July 5th, around 9 AM I called the dentist and told her what was going on. She ordered me in at 10 AM, and took casts of my teeth to make me a night guard to wear. I picked it up on July 9th (Monday) and ended up having to go in twice in the next week to have it adjusted, because I was waking up with more pain than before. The second time I went in, she also hooked me up to a T.E.N.S. (Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation) unit (a device delivers a mild electrical impulse to the muscles that move the jaw) for about an hour. This had little to no effect.

I have been wearing the night guard every night since July 12th and I noticed that, since wearing it, the pain has NOT been present in the morning when I wake up, however, between noon and 2 PM, the pain is right there and just as bad as ever.

After wearing the night guard continuously, I also noticed that, in the morning, my back teeth meet, but I cannot get my front teeth to meet for at least 30 minutes. When I was finally able to get my front teeth to meet (thereby having ALL teeth meet) I notice that there is a tooth on the right side that feels as though it is touching before all the other teeth come together.

I went to the dentist on Thursday, July 19th, and explained to her what I was feeling. She did a bite test and swore that nothing was hitting, but shaved down the tooth, anyway. It does not feel any different. Actually, it feels as though she shaved down the cusp parts of the tooth, and not the middle part where it still feels like it's hitting. I am also now waking up with jaw pain (where I was not, before).

I am currently taking 800 mg of ibuprofen up to 4 times a day to control the pain and symptoms. I have already tried Cyclobenzapren (Flexiril is the brand name; this is a muscle relaxant) and it was as useless as popping a Tic Tac. I have been told by a pharmacist that, at this point, only Percocet or Vicoden would be any better, but I am hesitant to go for anything more than OTC drugs.

At this point, I am at a loss. It seems to me like it MUST have been something relating to the dental work, but my dentist is treating me as though this is just a normal case of TMD that came on with no provocation. She does not seem willing to entertain the fact that the filling procedure could have caused it and look for treatments related to this end.

Tomorrow morning, I plan on calling my dentist, again, explaining that the most recent treatments have been unsuccessful and ask what she feels the next course of action will be. I plan to then tell her that I want to think about all of this and I plan on calling both my regular doctor and another dentist for a second opinion.

Can anyone tell me if they've had an experience like this and what worked to help bring you some relief? I would really appreciate hearing that I'm not the only one (validation is often a beautiful thing, don't you think?)...

Replies(20)

TMJWorld

replied on July 22nd, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

Hey There

first off welcome.

If you read further in the board you will find that many people have had tmd started by a visit to the dentist. Its not at all an uncommon thing. I would recommend that you go see a neuromuscular dentist. they can get you on the right track. I know that that type of dentist was the only one that got me anywhere. Yes Im sure that we all pop a lot of ibuprophen---I know that as of late i have been

these symptoms all sound like tmd. Ive had most of them. keep your chin up there is hope. we are here to help and we will get you squared away. Im here anytime you need me. pm me or email me at anytime.

catswold

replied on July 23rd, 2007

Supporter

Yes

Hi Duchessljb,
Sadly yes, and the more I read of your posting made me think you should see a different dentist who is more familiar with TMJ. Forcing us to keep our mouths open for so long and so wide is not a good practice, in my opinion. In doing so, your ligaments could have been severely stretched, and even pulled the meniscus out of place, making it "catch" when using your mouth normally.

To go to the beginning - whenever we have work done on our teeth, there is a possibility that the bite will be changed by the new filling, etc. That is just about the first thing that a dentist should check if you have pain after dental work. If the bite appears to be perfect (and it should be checked with you sitting up straight also), then it should be usually assumed that the jaw has been strained or "sprained." The patient should be put on a soft foods/liquid diet for a few weeks. The mouth should be rested as much as possible (little/no talking or smiling big, etc.) Ice should be used to reduce the swelling and moist heat for pain relief. Ibuprofen is best to use in my opinion but you must be careful with your stomach. I understand why you are taking as much as you are, but it can eat at your stomach. You could try and ask your doctor for Vicoprofen, which is Ibuprofen plus Hydrocodone (used in Vicodin). But this still should not be used excessively and not taken long-term (it just works more intensely at lower doses).

You can and should still do these self-help "treatments." You really should not even need a bite splint in my opinion.

I hesitate what to say anything about your bite now because your dentist should fix the bite until it is balanced, but it sounds like your current dentist does not know how to do so, and it can be difficult to get a new dentist to only work at correcting the mistake of another dentist. I would continue trying to fix the bite, though.

You've only been experiencing these problems for a short time (and it is very obvious to me what caused the problems, which is actually common sadly). I believe it is possible to "fix" your problem but you seriously may have to find a dentist who spends a lot of his/her practice on TMJ patients. See if the self-help tips I gave will help. Read more of the postings here, especially the one to Jodestar.

I do hope and pray that you will get the help you need.
God bless...
Carol

Duchessljb

replied on July 23rd, 2007

Experienced User

Thank you, both, for the support and suggestions.

dyanmatteson, my dentist is actually a neuromuscular dentist, so I have that part covered. I think the problem, now, is just that this particular dentist is treating this as a normal case of TMD, where it just came about one day, with nothing bringing it on. I think that these types of cases are where a night guard and the like are the best treatments. However, in my case, I believe that it is safe to say that the dental procedures I was subject to had something to do with it and there are different treatments in cases where something actually is believed to have caused the TMD. I believe that my dentist is avoiding this (perhaps concerned that I will blame her for the issue). At this point, I am not concerned with blame; I am concerned with making the pain go away.

catswold, I have been eating soft foods (as well as lukewarm foods, since I am currently sensitive to both hot and cold due to the fillings), using heating pads (cold doesn't seem to work for me) and popping enough ibuprofen for the last month to ruin my liver! I think I may stop using the night guard, since I'm not really sure it's helping and may actually be making my symptoms worse. I also read another thread, today, that mentioned that taking Magnesium helped with the pain, so I picked up some of that, today, and am going to try taking it, daily (in addition to the multi-vitamin that I already take).

I have another question; something I was reading about and hadn't considered: is it possible that allergies to the filling material can cause TMD or TMD-like symptoms? These visits were the first time I've ever had the tooth-colored fillings and I have been experiencing some sharp pains in the tooth area, today. I wonder if that's a possibility, as well.

Thank you, both! Other opinions/suggestions are always welcome.

grassy

replied on July 24th, 2007

Experienced User

Hi, It Happened to Me Also

Hi, i'm cindy...A dentist did it to me, altho he did more... he not only dislocated my jaw right out of the socket, he injured my neck with such force(getting a tooth out) that he almost killed me. now when i see a post like this it bothers me right down to my soul.... what if it does not get better? tmj can be hard to fix. The results of this(my) dentists mistake on me has been THOUSANDS of dollars. he knew he did it...it has been 7 years of chiropractic treatment 3 times a week, plus mri bill,tmj specialists etc. i will say one thing. please keep EVERYTHING, keep all the bills, all the receipts, write down everything as you go. throw it in A BOX. Keep what every doc says and write it down. It may come in handy some day. now looking back on it, i wished i had consulted with a lawyer. but at the time i was SO sick, we were just trying to get me help. I hope yours goes away and being positive, It will, Good luck!!!! your in good hands with dyan and carol. love cindy

TMJWorld

replied on July 24th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

Hey

its good that you found nmd so early. I dont think she is to blame. you may have something else wrong up there that she is unaware of . have her check for all your teeth touching. tell her about your concerns. I know that my doc had to go to 20 different docs because i got to a point and got worse and he was worried to death. It was simply because my jaw was too big for my head. that will cause all kinds of problems. they cant find it unless they look for it.

allyc

replied on July 26th, 2007

New User

Tmj

I had never experienced any tmj symptoms until I went to my dentist to get a crown on my rear left molar which had cracked. He told me the reason the molar had cracked was because my teeth were uneven and my back molars were hitting first and taking all of the pressure from my bite. He told me he was going to shave down a couple of my molars to even out my bite.
This sounded reasonable to me at the time and allowed him to shave down the molars necessary. Well, he did an occlusion treatment that has turned my life upside down. After the treatment my jaw felt constantly sore and was experiencing stuffiness, extreme hearing loss and ringing in my left ear. About 2 weeks after I had an extreme vertigo attack. I ended up in the emergency because I did not know what was happening to me, I thought I was having a stroke. My head started to hurt terribly and everthing was spinning at about 60 miles per hour and I couldn't stop vomitting. I couldn't even stand. I was told in the emergency room that I had a vertigo attack. They advised me to see an neurologist and/or an ENT. I was diagnosed with tmj. The tmj was caused my dentist changing my bite - there is not doubt about it. I have been to many dentists and ENTs and no one has been able to find a solution/cure to my tmj. I have tried several mouth splints, none of which have been helpful - they only seem to excacerbate the symptoms, exercise, massage, and nothing has helped. The symptoms just seem to be getting worse and with more frequency.

So, for the past 7 years, I have been living with headaches, jaw pain, temporal pressure, ringing and 85% hearing loss in my right ear and 30 % loss in my left, dizziness, and vertigo attacks that have been so violent that I've ended up in the emergency room. All of this because a dentist didn't understand or know exactly what he was doing. TMJ and Menieres Vertigo have exactly the same symptoms. I believe that TMJ can produce Menieres Vertigo.

Had my dentist mentioned any possible side effects from this occlussion treatment, I would never have let him do it. I, also, have stayed away from invasive treatments. I am afraid it could possibly cause more damage.

grassy

replied on July 26th, 2007

Experienced User

Allyc

Hi allyc, i'm cindy... I understand, i had all you have... even to the throwing up. In my case it was a dislocated jaw out sideways... so no tests picked up on it. I also had a neck that was pushed severely out of alignment,all by a dentist. the neck effects my ears, and you are RIGHT about menieres and tmj. i am in a menieres group right now to see if i can find us any help by learning more about menieres.... and ears and dizziness. i was talking to a very knowledgeable fellow there, who said it is possible to have tmj and menieres.... ok if you have had it this long....i would go get your neck checked for alignment issues, and the jaw also, some how ...by either a very experienced chiro or pt. it HAS to be a GOOD one. the neck and jaw are very close 1/4 inch and the ears and the neck 1/4 inch away. Anything wrong at all in there, the neck-the jaw-the ears... will make a person very ill. if you have tried this and it didnt work, then we will have to think of something else. But just file it away as another alternative. cindy

catswold

replied on July 26th, 2007

Supporter

Oh Allyc, I'm so sorry to read about all that you have gone thru. It really makes me sad and mad. I'm at a loss right now what to say other than to let you know that you are not alone. I hope it's okay with you if I pray for you. I have nothing else right now.

God bless you,
Carol

Duchessljb

replied on July 26th, 2007

Experienced User

Hello, again, everyone!

I recently went to the dentist, again, and she had me go see a massage therapist that specifically deals in TMJ/TMD massage.

She hit a couple of very specific pressure points (and also taught me how to do it), and when I left I felt better than I had since it all started. I actually slept the entire night through, last night, without waking up once (something that hasn't happened since June 27th)!

Today, I have felt some soreness here and there, but NOTHING like what I usually feel. I hit the pressure points this morning (just as she told me to do at least once a day) and have taken a total of 4 ibuprofen since yesterday at 3 PM. That's 5 full doses (20 individual pills) LESS than I have been taking in a 24 hour period. Also, each time I took medication, I only had to take 2 to feel better (rather than the 4 I normally need).

I plan to keep up the pressure points, myself, everyday, but I think I'll make another appointment, next week, to go back and see her; just to make sure it keeps getting better! Smile

grassy

replied on July 27th, 2007

Experienced User

Me Too I Get Mad

Carol, me too I get MAD !!!when i read these things, because it happened to ME also.. i HATE to see it happen to anyone!!! maybe thats why i joined the boards, Maybe we can be alittle help here and there, thats why i joined. i'm doing ok, but it has been a LONG horrible miserable road this tmj, i hate to see anyone get this... and it seems to be from dental work.they ought to start being alot more careful...so everyone, if at times i seem mad, i am too, i dont want anyone to have to go thur this!!! cindy

catswold

replied on July 27th, 2007

Supporter

That's great Duchess!!! Treat that massage therapist like a queen and go to her as regularly as you can afford it. Even once the spasms have calmed down and there is no or little pain, still see her maybe once a month or so.

Cindy, I'm so sorry that you've had a rough ride also. TMJ is a nightmare and a life-zapper that's for sure. I honestly don't know if I would be around today had it not been for my faith and my nieces & nephews. As they came into the world, I loved, played and read to them but always in terrible pain. It almost didn't seem fair but where in the manual of life does it say life is fair? Bummer.

But, we have to keep our spirits up anyway we can and enjoy as much of this wonderful life as we can. We also must continue to "fight" for the help we need no matter how discouraging it gets. Prayer does seem to help me a lot, thank God! And support groups are invaluable.

Take care Duchessljb, Allyc and Cindy. Remember that stress is your enemy and a good massage is sooooooooooo wonderful!!

God bless...
Carol

Duchessljb

replied on July 27th, 2007

Experienced User

Hello!

Well, I'm experiencing some pain, today, but I have to admit that (even though it is annoying), it isn't NEARLY as bad as the pain that I had been experiencing each day... I haven't taken ANY medication since yesterday around 5 PM and that was only 2 ibuprofen (rather than the 4 I normally take) so I think this is a good sign!

I'm planning on going to see her, again, on Monday, just to make sure that things stay nice and loose and then again, probably on Friday, just to keep things up. I'd like to see her twice a week for the next month, or so (assuming I can afford it), and then maybe drop it down to once every 2 weeks after that.

I'm sorry to hear about the issues that others are experiencing; I've only had to live with this for one month and I'm already desperate to find a solution, so I can't even imagine living with it for a year or longer. Sad

TMJWorld

replied on July 27th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

Hey

it will get better and better. Its great that you havent taken meds. Its a good sign that somehting is working. keep us informed.

bpw

replied on September 23rd, 2007

New User

Points

Hi, Duchessljb -- so glad you did get help, but I agree wholeheartedly that it's the dentists that can cause the problem. When it first occurred to me, I was a dentist's second TMJ patient back in 1982. He fixed an appliance for me that I had to wear 24 hours -- after a week I woke up and my mouth was locked in the "mid" position, and it's been that way ever since (worsened lately by another sociopathic dentist). Of course, the original doctor sent me to his best friend, a specialist, who snapped at me "You can't prove it" when I suggested it was the appliance that caused the problem. The appliance forced my bite in a locked position with no room for grinding, and they know not to make those kind of appliances anymore.

I was intrigued by the points your massage therapist told you about. Is there any way you could let us know what they are? I'm trained in acupuncture and I'd love to know if they are standard acupuncture points or something else. Thanks very much. Good luck with your continued healing, I hope you go all the way with it.

debm

replied on September 24th, 2007

New User

A dentist messed up my jaw years ago and now I have a huge phobia about getting work done. It really sounds to me like it was the dentists work that created the problems you are having. I hear about this more and more about dentists. Go to a different dentist. This one will just mess things up further.

Duchessljb

replied on September 24th, 2007

Experienced User

bpw, the trigger points that she pointed out to me were in several places: One was on the neck, where the neck meets the head, just below the bone that's behind the ear. Another was under the jawbone/chin, pressing hard up into the muscles below the face and the last two were actually inside the mouth; one was in the upper lip area, outside the teeth, pressing up into the cheek and the other was in the far back part of the mouth, again pressing into the cheek.

I recently did discover that I did NOT have TMJ, however. After seeing another dentist, who immediately referred me to an endodontist, I ended up having a root canal on one of the teeth in the back left area of my mouth and that fixed ALL of my problems.

At this point, I'm annoyed at the first dentist for refusing to admit that this might not have been TMJ and for not referring me to an endodontist sooner.

catswold

replied on September 28th, 2007

Supporter

Duchessljb, that is wonderful news! You have seen first hand the difficulty with TMJ. Doctors and dentists just DO NOT seem to know enough about TMJ and what can mimic TMJ. Our bodies are also so very, very complicated, but awesome! Praise God!

God bless you,
Carol

Duchessljb

replied on January 19th, 2008

Experienced User

Well, as I mentioned, I actually looked up my symptoms and had suggested to the dentist that it might not have been TMJ (TMJ was one of the possibilities, but several sites mentioned that a tooth dying can give off symptoms similar to TMJ. That's when I asked my dentist to check and see if there was something wrong with the tooth. She insisted that it was TMJ and wouldn't even look at the teeth in the area (even after we'd attempted all the normal tratments for TMJ that seem to bring at least a little relief, but didn't in my case).

That's when I sought out a second opinion (believing that the first dentist wasn't listening to my concerns and feeling that, if I was wrong, a simple check wouldn't have been too much trouble to prove I was wrong...) and the second dentist agreed that it was a possibility and sent me to an endodontist. The endodontist confirmed that the tooth had died and that I needed a root canal.

On a happier note, the root canal was absolutely painless, both during and after the procedure. My endodontist was excellent and, although they gave me vicodin for afterwards, I never had to take any at all and was up and working by that afternoon.

Thank you all for the support, even though the condition turned out NOT to be TMJ. I truly hope they come up with SOMETHING to help successfully diagnose the condition, because if it's anything at all like what I went through for 4 months, then something definitely needs to be done for the suffering.

TMJWorld

replied on January 20th, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

well its good to hear from you again. glad all is going well for you. do keep us updated.

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