Does anyone here have TMJ?

[imported_Tomato]

I think I do. Is the only solution/cure a mouthpiece from the dentist? What tecniques have you tried, if any, to stop from biting/grinding in your sleep?

 

[Platypus]

i'll skip the obvious joke here

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
i'll skip the obvious joke here

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
i'll skip the obvious joke here

ditto.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

* NSAIDs for pain
* Eat a diet of soft foods.
* Apply warm compresses on the area of pain. Mandible movements, such as opening and closing the jaw from side to side. Try this after applying a warm compress for about 20 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times a day for 5 min/time for about 2-4 weeks.

 

[slickcat]

Originally posted by: Tomato
I think I do. Is the only solution/cure a mouthpiece from the dentist? What tecniques have you tried, if any, to stop from biting/grinding in your sleep?

I grind my teeth in my sleep. My fiance says that it keeps her up some nights because it's so loud it sounds like I'm trying to chew through a jawbreaker. I went to my dentist and the only suggestion he had was the mouth guard while sleeping. Other than that not a whole lot can be done to protect your jaw/teeth. I guess for a quick fix a football mouth guard might work but what you really need to look into is a bite splint.

 

[Lola]

i do not have it, but my cousin had it so bad that she had to have surgery. It helped, but she said it was pretty bad recovering from it...
i would definatly see a dentist about it

 

[Feldenak]

Yes, I do and it sucks.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
* NSAIDs for pain
* Eat a diet of soft foods.
* Apply warm compresses on the area of pain. Mandible movements, such as opening and closing the jaw from side to side. Try this after applying a warm compress for about 20 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times a day for 5 min/time for about 2-4 weeks.

Thanks SacrosanctFiend... it isn't actually extremely serious, but I'll try the compresses when there is pain. Is eating soft foods all the time necessary? Does eating things like potato chips increase/worsen the TMJ?

(BTW, I think it's sad in a puppy dog pathetic type of way that CR stalks me in all my threads )

 

[HardcoreRobot]

i grind/clench my jaw while i sleep. my dentist said i needed to get a mouth guard bc i had ground off most of the enamel on the surfaces of my teeth. a guard also apparently reduces tension and makes you feel better when you wake up. unfortunately, i always breathe through my mouth when i sleep and the mouth guard made it really uncomfortable to breathe/sleep so I gave up on it pretty quickly. that was just one from a drugstore though, i expect a custom fitted one would be better.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: slickcat

Originally posted by: Tomato
I think I do. Is the only solution/cure a mouthpiece from the dentist? What tecniques have you tried, if any, to stop from biting/grinding in your sleep?

I grind my teeth in my sleep. My fiance says that it keeps her up some nights because it's so loud it sounds like I'm trying to chew through a jawbreaker. I went to my dentist and the only suggestion he had was the mouth guard while sleeping. Other than that not a whole lot can be done to protect your jaw/teeth. I guess for a quick fix a football mouth guard might work but what you really need to look into is a bite splint.

Yikes! My fiance says the clicking and grinding keeps him up at times... did you get a mouth guard, or are you considering it? I'm worrying about the damage done to my teeth, i tried a football mouth guard but it was pretty uncomfortable and I kept drooling.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: Lola
i do not have it, but my cousin had it so bad that she had to have surgery. It helped, but she said it was pretty bad recovering from it...
i would definatly see a dentist about it

How bad was it before your cousin had to have surgery? How long did recovery take, and do you know what was actually done? I'm going to make an appointment with my dentist today.

 

[kevman]

no TMJ here....but I do suffer form the gum disease known as GINGIVITIS

 

[Shelly21]

not anymore. i post about this a few months ago.

went to the dentist, i got a tiny piece of thingy thing fits between my front teeth at night. no more grinding and no more tmj.

not covered by my crappy insurance, cost me $400+.

 

[kami333]

You can get a mouthpiece that's like a retainer, fits over your upper teeth so you can sleep with your mouth open or whatever.

I have it too and as far as i know i don't grind my teeth or anything while i sleep.

Cures? Not much. I'm thinking about trying acupuncture since I've spoken to several people who said it helped them.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Tomato

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
* NSAIDs for pain
* Eat a diet of soft foods.
* Apply warm compresses on the area of pain. Mandible movements, such as opening and closing the jaw from side to side. Try this after applying a warm compress for about 20 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times a day for 5 min/time for about 2-4 weeks.

Thanks SacrosanctFiend... it isn't actually extremely serious, but I'll try the compresses when there is pain. Is eating soft foods all the time necessary? Does eating things like potato chips increase/worsen the TMJ?

(BTW, I think it's sad in a puppy dog pathetic type of way that CR stalks me in all my threads )

While you have TMJ, I would recommend avoiding foods like candy, nuts, steak, chewing gum, etcetra. You know the severity, I don't. Eat accordingly.

 

[Night201]

My sister-in-law had it a little bit from an accident she was in. She went to like the best specialist in this field in the US. I'll talk to her to find out what he did and I'll get back to you. Just remind me if you don't hear from me in a day or 2.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Tomato
I think I do. Is the only solution/cure a mouthpiece from the dentist? What tecniques have you tried, if any, to stop from biting/grinding in your sleep?

try not to open your mouth widely, like when you would eat a sub or yawn.
also gum chewing can irritate the TMJ(temporomandibular joint) and cause symptoms of TMD (temopromandibular disorder) to appear.


here is some good info for you
http://www.nidr.nih.gov/health/pubs/tmd/menu.htm

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: Night201
My sister-in-law had it a little bit from an accident she was in. She went to like the best specialist in this field in the US. I'll talk to her to find out what he did and I'll get back to you. Just remind me if you don't hear from me in a day or 2.

Okay cool, thanks.

 

[badmouse]

me too. (click) (bad tmj humor)_

I have one of those little mouth thingy's too. Heat & advil when it hurts.

However, what helped the most is my chiropracter.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: badmouse
me too. (click) (bad tmj humor)_

I have one of those little mouth thingy's too. Heat & advil when it hurts.

However, what helped the most is my chiropracter.

Really?? I've never seen a chiropracter. What does he/she do that alleviates the symptoms?

 

[desy]

Used to.
Had Jaw surgury in 88
4wks wired

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

TMJ can be herreditary. I hope I don't pass it on to my kids. I hate it, but I don't have it as bad as my mother does.

 

[badmouse]

Originally posted by: Tomato

Originally posted by: badmouse
me too. (click) (bad tmj humor)_

I have one of those little mouth thingy's too. Heat & advil when it hurts.

However, what helped the most is my chiropracter.

Really?? I've never seen a chiropracter. What does he/she do that alleviates the symptoms?

It's not the normal recommendation, but having the the skull and the upper vertebrae properly aligned takes pressure off. At least, it did for me.

 

[cronos]

Originally posted by: Tomato
I think I do. Is the only solution/cure a mouthpiece from the dentist? What tecniques have you tried, if any, to stop from biting/grinding in your sleep?

my wife had it. she went to the physical therapist for about three months and it's almost completely gone now. they gave her some exercises that she had to do pretty intensively, like 8-10 times a day (some she needed to do in front of the mirror, and they're pretty funny!). she did them dilligently too, maybe that's why it worked.