Over the last few years I have started to suffer from Bruxism which is grinding of the teeth. (I have to use a mouth guard while asleep). While I was investigating my symptoms I discovered that they were associated with TemporoMandibular joint and muscle disorders. So I thought that a blog post of the subject would be useful.
TemporoMandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ) are a set of medical problems which can
Bruxism is tooth grinding
cause pain and malfunctioning of the jaw joint and the muscles that control the movement of the jaw. For many of us pain in the jaw does not represent a big problem. Normally any discomfort from these conditions is temporary, though it can often occur in cycles. Hopefully your pain should go away with little or no treatment. That being said a few people with TMJ will develop serious and chronic symptoms.
These can include:
- Jaw pain
- Stiffness of the jaw
- Headaches
- Sensitive teeth
- Difficulty in opening the mouth.
- Eating hard foods can be painful.
- Awareness of grinding/clenching teeth
We are posting this blog on TMJ because we are interested in the opinions and experiences of people like me who have some of the symptoms.
In particular we interested in your answers to the following questions:-
- At what age did you start to suffer from TMJ disorder?
- What were the symptoms?
- How were you diagnosed? Was it your PCP or maybe your dentist? Were you referred to a specialist?
- What treatments have you used and how effective are they?
- What impact, if any, has it had on your lifestyle in general?
Thanks very much in advance for your help. It would be great if you could use the comments box below to answer any of these questions or share links.
My jaw pain started at about age 42 or 43. I had started clenching (but not grinding) my teeth at night without realizing it. I was the first to realize I had TMJ myself. My PCP confirmed it, and sent me to my dentist. He reconfirmed. I had six teeth pulled in high school – three on each side, two top, one bottom – to make room to straighten my teeth. My dentist now said the dental industry realized too late that process of pulling to teeth was causing TMJ in most of the people who had it done because it realigned the teet too far from their original places.
I also had my wisdom teeth since they hadn’t shown up until my early 30s. He chose to remove the top two wisdom teeth, which helped some. My right side pain is quite manageable now. Left side is still very bothersome.
Dentist wants me to get braces again and realign top left side. I haven’t made that decision yet. I can’t wear anything at night because I am a mouth breather due to allergies and asthma and the now chronic sinus issues 45 years of allergies have blessed me with.
I have almost constant pain in left jaw, cheek, temple, forehead and behind my left eye. Sometimes in my left ear as well.
It’s hard to talk for any length of time. My jaw gets tired and I have to stop talking or I will slit my words. In the last six months or so I catch myself clenching my teeth during the day, not just at night. The dr gave me a muscle relaxer but it has little to no effect. I take Advil daily without much effect. Pain is exhausting. Especially when it last for years. (I also have fibromyalgia, so pain and exhaustion have become my life.)
I had malocclusion because of a bad dental filling once, and I was surprised at how painful it was to have an uneven bite. It’s like the worst arthritis ever, hitting you in your jaw. The inflammation even caused nausea. Fortunately, the dentist was able to level off my bite and make it more even. http://www.randolphdentalgroup.com
At what age did you start to suffer from TMJ disorder? 30
What were the symptoms? Severe vertigo & jaw pain. The vertigo lasted for weeks that first time.
How were you diagnosed? Was it your PCP or maybe your dentist? Were you referred to a specialist? I went to a dentist/TMJ specialist
What treatments have you used and how effective are they? I wear a splint on my bottom teeth
What impact, if any, has it had on your lifestyle in general? I have to take it out every time I eat, which is kind of tricky in public…and it is noticeable in my mouth.
My daughter was dx with TMJ 3 years ago at 15 she is now 18 and a new dentist says she needs a splint to wear at night.
At what age did you start to suffer from TMJ disorder?
In my 30’s, 12 years or so.
What were the symptoms?
Early on headaches the progressed to neck and shoulder pain, pain in jaw and ears. Then full face pain and broken teeth.
How were you diagnosed? Was it your PCP or maybe your dentist? Were you referred to a specialist?
I thought I had a sinus problem, My GP referred me to an ENT (ear nose throat) and he diagnosed me.
What treatments have you used and how effective are they?
The first problem I had w treatment was I could not find a dental specialist that would take insurance, they all wanted cash up front and no guarantee they could help me.Medical treatment was delayed for 10 years, until the teeth started to break. So far I have used over the counter mouth guards, a chiropractor, a massage therapist, and prescription drugs.
What impact, if any, has it had on your lifestyle in general? I am currently seeing someone Once a week to have my jaw stimulated for the purpose of realignment and I have been fitted for a night guard, the insurance denied the request twice. Finally got the approval, now just waiting. I still suffer from pain in me face and ears. I avoid gum and hard foods. I still take prescriptions which make me sleepy so I don’t get to enjoy friend and family like I would like to.
Im 42 I have TMJ, fibro, asthma and fibroids I started suffering TMJ 2 years ago my gp duagnosed it after I saw her complaining of jaw pain, neck pain, biting through the side of my inside mouth in sleep, my jaw was cracking , my bite is out of line I get migraines a lot. It makes it hard to chew as its painful then the jaw cracks which shoots pain up to my ears its awful, my teeth throb .My gp told me no apples, no gum and no toffee I cant eat anything that is really hard or chewy it takes me so long to eat as my jaw starts cracking so I stop eating for a bit till the pain dies down , I started having jaw problems after I had a wisdom tooth out and it disintegrated and left the roots still in the gum 1 root still remains I had xray at the dentist and she told ne my bite was out but I didnt start having pain and cracking till 2 years ago I mentioned it to my gp as I was having tests at the time for suspected fibro, other things were being ruled out to be diagnosed with fibro thats when she diagnosed TMJ x
At what age did you start to suffer from TMJ disorder?
Early thirties
What were the symptoms?
Jaw cracking, painful jaw, stiff neck, headaches,
How were you diagnosed? Was it your PCP or maybe your dentist? Were you referred to a specialist?
I asked my dentist to see why my crown was being pulled out, she said my jaw was out of line, go see GP. He referred me to a consultant who did head x-rays and told me it was TMJD and my jaw over extends in all directions.
What treatments have you used and how effective are they?
Learning to recognise when I am stressed so I can relax my neck and jaw, exercises given to me by the consultant, avoid chewing gum, biting into apples (cut them instead), Mindfulness
What impact, if any, has it had on your lifestyle in general?
I don’t grind just clench but mindfulness has helped a lot. When i hear cracking I know i’m getting too stressed and try to de-stress. Painful flare ups every so often but the biggest thing? I miss gum, so no biggie.
My jaw was “popping” my the age of 9 . It locked shut when I was 17. I started seeking treatment at that time and was shuffled from dentist to dentist they all just wanted to fix my teeth. After thousands of dollars and many dentist I finally was referred to a mandibular specialist. It was decided that I needed to have the disks surgically removed from both sides of my jaw. All the teeth grinding and jaw clenching over the years I had worn holes in those disks and that was causing my jaw to sporadically lock shut. I was 18. I am now 37.
suffered for 2 years on and off but pain got worse even hurt to eat soft foods,went to dentist who refered me to specialist,then sent back to dentist for specially made gum type shield,200-300€ and wear it every night going to bed,as he said i was grinding in my sleep and my jaws should not have the severity of pain as was only 29,don’t rem gringing ever until was told this was cause of jaw pain,pain had eased but noticed last few weeks its sore again but havnt stopped wearing the shield
At what age did you start to suffer from TMJ disorder?
I started grinding my teeth at a very young age but my problems with TMJ disorder became severe in my teens.
What were the symptoms?
Jaw popping and clicking
Jaw pain
Spasming of the muscles in my face and neck
Neck Pain
Severe Headaches
Ear pressure and ear popping
Jaw getting stuck
Pain and difficulty while chewing
How were you diagnosed? Was it your PCP or maybe your dentist? Were you referred to a specialist?
Dentist referred me to an orthodontist.
What treatments have you used and how effective are they?
A bite splint was made in preparation for braces and jaw surgery to correct the overbite that was the root of the problem. We lost our insurance and treatment was never completed.
What impact, if any, has it had on your lifestyle in general?
Because treatment was never completed I still suffer from all of the symptoms and my current insurance doesn’t cover orthonathic surgery.
i was in my 30s when i noticed difficulty in opening my jaw. it was my DDS who diagnosed me. i ended up going thru the painful dye X-rays to determine how much damage had been done. we found out i have no cartilage on one side and minimal on the other. my jaw, after he did the plaster casts, slips 1/8 inch each time i use it to talk, chew or any other motion.
i had 4 good teeth removed, full upper/lower braces as an adult to reshape the teeth. i have worn retainers since then. teeth tend to migrate back to their pre-braces positions. i now wear a hard plastic mouth guard on my upper teeth at night. and the retainer on the lowers at night.
i have tinnitus in addition to TMJ.
as to impact on my life: i have tinnitus all the time. i don’t hear lower sounds in a crowded restaurant or if you are behind me and say something. if the faucet is running, i will hear your voice, but not what you are saying. after repeatedly telling some folks, i just gave up and decided if it was important enough, you would get my attention and repeat!!
stress will cause a flair. i have had to use motrin 800mg three times a day for a couple of days to quiet the muscle/tension. at night when i finally get quiet, i can feel the jaw muscles clenching and releasing. it is a continuous movement. like a small tremor.
i have had this so long it has become a way of life for me. i use white noise at night to sleep and usually have music on all day. i do have quiet times, but i can hear the ringing all the time.
i have noticed that if i have a headache in the AM, to see if my jaw is stiff or if the muscles are tight. that will tell me how much i have clenched during the night.
i don’t chew gum, it tires the muscles. i watch what i eat. hard candy that must be broken can be problematic.
hope this discourse helps.
usafrnped@hotmail.com
usafrnped wow you have described every symptom that i have
residentevil4u usafrnped
sorry you had to experience this. hope you are finding relief. i have heard there are exercises you can do, but i have never engaged in that therapy. i really don’t know anything about it more than i have just heard about them. have a great day….don’t clench!!! heeeheee
I was probably 7 when I would open my mouth and I would hear a clicking in my ear… I thought it was weird never said anything until this year when I went to my doctor…. 18 years later as it finally got tooo annoying. He told me there is too much clenching and grinding so now I have a night guard that I wear sometimes when I forget to wear the guard I would talk and feel like my jaw is slipping out of place