Well, I've just started wearing a mouth guard at night for my TMJ issue, and so far so good. I've worn it for three nights and already I'm noticing that the painful popping on my left jaw has gone away. There's still some general pain there, especially when I open my mouth wide to yawn (I'm trying so hard not to do that!), and when I'm chewing. But, it's a little better. I'm hopeful that this will really help. It better, anyway. The mouth guard wasn't covered by insurance, naturally, and cost $800.
I haven't tackled the root cause of the TMJ, which is most likely the stress I've been under lately, but that's next on my agenda.......
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From what I understand, a mouthguard is only effective if it's strong enough to withstand the pressure of the nighttime grinding. My mouthguard is a lot thicker than any retainer I've seen.
February 13, 2009 - 2:47pmThis Comment
I went through this umpteen years ago, when my kids were little and I was still in a high-stress profession. Besides the annoying and uncomfortable mouth guard that I had to wear at night to prevent grinding my teeth (that I had done so badly that I wore my back molars down and had to have them crowned), I had to go in for weekly electric shock treatments to relax my jaw muscles.
Good luck with your treatment and I hope you get down to the root cause of your symptoms.
For more on TMJ:
The TMJ Association
North Texas Center for Head, Face and TMJ Pain: FAQs
We've had others describe their experiences with TMJ, as well.
February 12, 2009 - 8:04pmThis Comment