Hey mdw2004,

im glad you found something that works for you. Thats great!
It's funny because I seem to be the reverse to you. The only thing i've found that helps is my splint, pain killers and heat. Im in alot of pain still but you know how it is. I got my wisdom teeth out at prostodontists recommendation and it made my jaw 1000 times worse. I have pain on both sides now. I've also had braces 3 times. Nothing.
So you are right, you gotta try everything and see what works...

Cheers
steph

Hi, I hope your doing better. I have been suffering with tmj for the last 14 years, I am 34 years and i've gone through alot of surgeries including dental mental implants about 5 years ago. Which at that point I finally started to get some relief. Thanks for sharing what works for you.

I'd love to talk to you about t.M.J.

all the best
sherry

Yeah, the same thing happened to me too. I had my wisdom tooth pulled out and my pain was relieved 50%. But still i'm in pain right now. Seems it's not a perfect solution to me. Maybe I should pull out all the other wisdom teeth.

Wayne

I know that I have tmj because of all the clicking (volunatry and involuntary) and popping and the pain in the jaw and behind the ears. I also tend to pull my ear lobes to ease the pain/uneasyness.

I dont know why I have it.... I have never had any teeth ailment or jaw injury. I have it since my 8th grade.
I dont have any other problems. Just that I find it so annoying.

In india I am yet to see any doctor or hospital advertising that they can help me with this. And the doctors I have been to dont think its a problem.
Here even my friends dont think that I have a problem.
Probably nobody here knows much about tmj.

I cant even buy those mouth appliances here (i think they are called nss or something).

Dont know what to do..... Or whether there are more people out there like me suffering from tmj.

You can order them over the internet with a credit card...

I wonder if sports mouthguards, the kind you put in a cup of boiling water to soften and then bite down on, to mold/conform to your mouth, would help you?

My fiance has tmj and groudn his teeth down, he's in a high stress job...A us navy captain in iraq clearing mines (still) in the gulf

My life is unending pain!
I have had both of my disks removed, that was about 6 years ago.
I do all the stuff you guys do, the heat, cold, antidepressants. My doctor I think has given up on me. Now he just gives my unless supplies of
pain meds, which makes it very hard to work and have a family and friends.
My husband is great, he does everything, I just go to work, part time, and go back to bed. My boss is great too, he lets my take maps when the pain gets unbearable.
I do not want to die because I have two great kids but I want to just sleep for a few months until I feel better.
Thanks for letting me vent, I just found this site and think it is great.
One last thing, my doctor said my 16 year old daughter has tmj and has a cat scan to prove it--have terrible tmj too, she wears splint and is on pain meds when she needs them.
Does anyone else have a child with tmj too.

Hi ross123,
i understand the nightmare you are going through and it's a bad one. I've had tmj for 25 years and at times the pain was so bad, that I wanted to die. I have done everything possible that the medical field and researching has recommended, short of surgery, and thank god for that as tmj surgery does not have a very good success history.

I hope you won't mind if I make a few suggestions regarding your daughter's case. After all these years and all the researching I have done, I have finally come to the conclusion that the underlying basic reason for tmj is grinding or clenching teeth. A child grinds their teeth automatically because their teeth are growing in and that helps somehow. Once we become adults, we should no longer be grinding but many of us do. If everything is working well together within the very complicated temporomandibular joint, all should be okay. But why a problem arises is the biggest mystery many tmj sufferers go through. For some, it could be that their bite is off; for others, they are using their mouth wrong when eating; or a simple injury can start the nightmare. The reasons are quite long and extensive and sometimes very complicated. Also, and this is the biggest surprise for me, sometimes tmj is a symptom of another medical problem (cfs, tn, etc.)

your daughter is at an age where doctors/dentists should be able to fix the problem. Pain is the first problem that must be addressed. If the bite splint she is wearing now isn't working, try a different kind (nti, etc.); an anti-depressant that regulates seratonin levels in the body might be considered (but I do know that children must be carefully monitored if you decide to go that route); a very small dose of valium at night only and again, very monitored; physical therapy or therapeutic massage; eat only soft foods (no cheating) and no gum chewing or anything chewy, etc. And laugh about everything possible. Perhaps she should even go to a neuropsychologist who can teach her how to cope with pain and whatever else it is that they do.

Once the pain is at a manageble level (hopefully none), talk to your doctors/dentists about fixing her mouth through braces, expanders, etc., but no surgery.

I so wish that they had had the capability to make the inside of my mouth larger and could have extended the bottom jaw longer like they can now. My mouth is so small, that 8 teeth were pulled, I had braces twice, and there is still an overbite. I don't have much of a chin or a good strong mandible, which is important in healthy jaw and dental care.

Oh my, this has gotten so long and i'm so sorry. It might seem silly, but I don't want your daughter to go through this nightmare you and I have gone through, just as I know you don't.

Be aggressive in your search for a "cure" but be careful. Don't allow anyone do anything to her (or yourself) that is not irreversible until you have researched inside and out and feel completely comfortable.

I would like to reiterate something before closing -- physical and/or massage therapy is great for helping the body cope and even heal itself from pain (pt more so than mt), and sleeping with ice on one side of the head and heat on the other side has been a godsend to me (just have a timer on or someone watching the time).

I do hope and pray that all is going well. Let me know.
God bless...
Carol

I've been using supplements for my TMJ as well as a nightguard. I was doing the usual joint stuff but just found a new one just for TMJ. It's called Natural TMJ Relief. Has anyone else tried that one or any of the other stuff out there- ie Dr. Something's Oral Spray, Serenitol, etc.etc...

I think it may help some. Who knows, at least it doesn't hurt like surgery or something.

just remember that what works for one doesnt always work for another. supplements never have worked for me and i know a lot of other people that havent been helped by them as well. as each of us is different--the treatment is different as well.

Hey guys, NeuroCranial REconstruction. TMJ is caused by misalignment in the skull and jaw bones.

I believe this is a part of evolution and we just haven't got there yet. If you check back. Our ancestors from way back had bigger skulls and along time they have become smaller.

Hope this helps.

please read sticky about dr. names

Long story Try the following i hope it works for you.
please give feed back .

Place five cloves into mug of boiling water
stir occasionall and leave till water is drinkable
take out cloves
use water as mouth rinse and deep gargle
repeat two or three times a day

also guys be careful of mouth guards from drug stores etc. they often make things worse. they are a one size fits all ----all are different.

I am happy to hear from someone who is from India and sad because you cannot find help. There should be some orthodontic clinic. I am sure you can get orthodontic appliance somewhere. That's what helped me.
Actually, doctor made me two - one I am wearing on my lower jaw, but it doesn't help. The other, I put it on the upper jaw and then when I bite down my lower jaw, the appliance pushes it forward and to one side because I have alignment problem. This really seems to help, it's been now 1 week, and I am now starting to exercise again - before that I couldn't go because of pain. I also tried physical therapy for TMJ, it helped a little.
It is very important to have correct posture. Neck should not face forward too much. I have this problem, so I am sure it contributed to TMJ.

and I pray for you and others to find something that will help.

Thanks for this good idea about mouthguards that you can shape yourself.
I think it's a good thing to try - at least for grinding.
Also it might be possible to mold the mouthguard in a way to lock teeth into desired position.


The orthotic appliance that I have is like a mouth guard - locks my tooth into certain position. I cannot eat or talk with it, so it's tough, but I got used to it quick.

I had braces during my teen years, to treat upper jaw crowding and also underbite. But now it seems that it might have been part of the reason for my TMJ trouble.

be careful like i said in my previous posts--even those that you can boil aand lock into a desired postition cause more harm than good. if you dont k now what you are doing you will inadvertantly put your jaw into a more harmful position and train it to stay there. before you do anything talk to your doctor

Yes, definitely, I agree, this should not be used for long term, just as a test to see if maybe it improves. But if possible, try to get professional dentist or DMD with specialty in TMJ to make you two appliances. One for day and one for night. I was happy my insurance paid 50%. But I was still stuck with $700.
It's horrible that insurance would impose limits on this. I think it's not beneficial for them in long term as patients will probably keep going from one doc to another.. Insurance limits for TMJ care - nacism!

oh gee dont even get me started on insurance-------ive had to pay all my expenses out of pocket cause i was exclude and ive yet to find an insurance policy that will cover it. they cut me off at age 12

consider moving to Canada or UK?