TMJ Help

i have a long history i will try to keep it brief

in 2007 i started having alot of problems due to a bad reaction to a medicine it caused extreme anxiety,weight loss when turned into other stomach problems

fast forward a year or so and i start having bad facial bad and headache it seemed sinus related to me so thats the dr i went to since i have a history of sinus and allergy issues

so i had cat scans done of my sinuses and had sinus surgery thinking that would solve my headaches and face pain

well after weeks of recovery i still had my pain

fast forward maybe another year i start realizing it could be something with one of my teeth so i go to the dentist and he just so happens to find a tooth right by where the facial pain is that needs a root canal

so i do that after recovering from that still in pain..and i feel that the tooth could still be the culprit just cause of the placment and i did have some pain there so i go to a surgeon and i get the tooth removed fast fwd to recovery and i still have all my symptoms

after all of this i start thinking its my jaw i start to notice things i didnt notice before such as clicking in the joint,if i put my hand over the joint i feel it pop out and when i open my mouth my jaw leans more to one side

now here is my dilemma i have severe gastro issues so that has always taken center stage and i have no job because of this im on state health insurance so tmj treatment or evaluation has been hard to do since its costly

im at the point where i need to get something done and see someone

i have the headaches, facial pain,i cant talk for a long time without pain and clicking..i occasionally get the ringing in my ear with some pain and i get bouts of dizziness

so besides looking for a good tmj specialist that doesnt just jump the gun i need someone that treats it based off finding the cause of it happening

i dont have money to waste so i need to find the right guy

looking in the ny/nj area

also because of my gastro issues theres not much i can eat right now and i like to have a salty snack every now and then pretzels are easy on my stomach but hard on my jaw any opinions on a salt snack i can have thats safe for my jaw?

sorry for the long post hope its read in full and i can get some opinions

TMJ pain is awful.

I had both side of my TMJs replaced due to the bones fusing together. The surgery was purely for function, not pain. Actually, the pain is worse, but I knew that would be the likely result.

I also have some pretty severe gastro issues. I've had feeding tubes off and on these past few years.

It is hard finding a diet that will work for both. It can differ from day to day. I drink a lot of Ensure. It's a good thing I kinda like it. Oatmeal is pretty good and can fill you up. It's pretty bland so it should sit ok on the stomach.

As far as helping with the TMJ pain: I take dixie cups and freeze water in them. These feel good when rubbed across the TMJs. You also want to try and relax the muscles. Yawning is very painful to me. If you take your tongue and press it to the top of your mouth when you yawn, it prevents you from opening extremely wide. I have a ton of nerve damage due to the replacements. Trigeminal Nerve Blocks are helpful.

I was told early on that a majority of the public has some type of TMJ problem. The marjority of it is muscular, although it can feel like the joint cause the muscles are so taunt and the pain feels like it's across the joint. Something like 10% seek treatment. Of that 10%, 5% need surgery. Of that 5%, 1% need replacement. Of course, you won't know where you fall until you seek treatment. Please be very careful. It's so hard to decide who to listen to. Many surgeons may say they know all about TMJ issues, but that is often not the case. If a dr is pushing surgery, get a ton of other opinions. Like I was told-pain can increase. I had surgery since my opening was less than 10mm and shrinking quickly. I was unable to talk clearly with that small of an opening and chewing was not an option at all. At the rate that the bones were fusing, I was looking at a 1mm opening within a few years. After one surgeon suggested surgery, my rheumy sent files to various university centers to make sure cutting was the best option.

A mouthguard is often a first step. Unfortunately they can be rather expensive, but often they can bring relief. It can take months to see a real improvement since you have to retrain the muscles. Skeye mentioned medications for nerve pain. Currently I take 100mg of Amitriptyline which helps. I've also had Botox injections for help break up spasms. Dry needling also helps to break up spasms.

I feel like I've been through the ringer when it comes to TMJ issues. Feel free to ask any questions. Right now, you need to focus on getting a good specialist. This will usually be an oral maxillofacial surgeon. Hopefully your current dentist can refer you to one he/she trusts.

I hope you are able to find help and feel better soon. Again-ask away:)

Some drs will recommend filing down teeth to make an even bite. From what I've read, that often does not go well.
The jaw muscles are crazy strong. If the bite is changed by filing teeth, the muscle problem isn't taken care of. The muscles will continue to shift your bite. A mouthguard is usually the best and least invasive treatment. They can be pricey. Often dental insurance feels that it's medical, medical insurance feels the problem is dental. A good clinic will be able to code the treatment so hopefully you will be covered.