TMJ Support Group

Dawny,

Most likely you have a bad bite. This means that the position your teeth hold your lower jaw causes trauma to your jaw joint (TMJ) and causes the muscles of your head and neck to be torqued, spasm and become painful. You will feel this pain as a headache, migraine, neck pain or shoulder pain.

What you need is a lower jaw repositioning orthotic. This splint/mouthpiece will reposition your lower jaw to the place where the muscles of your head and neck can relax and also decompress your jaw joints. The place that the orthotic/splint holds your lower jaw is very important. It must be in the exact perfect place or the splint/orthotic will not work.

A nightguard is just a piece of plastic with a flat plane on it that does NOT position your jaw in a specific place, that is why they generally do NOT help with TMJ symptoms. They are merely designed to protect your teeth from getting ground down due to bruxism (clenching and grinding of the teeth). They are a protective device, NOT a theraputic device.

Because they are designed to treat one symptom of a bad bite (wearing down of your teeth due to grinding of your teeth), not to correct a bad bite, they are not supposed to cure anything or make you feel any better.

Hope this helps.

Doctor T

First off I disagree with Doctor T..........you should NEVER start out doing something permanent like a repositioning splint. You should stay with conservative methods like muscle relaxers/pain relievers, splints that DO NOT change your bite, heat/ice. You also should find a TMJ specialist that can order a CT scan or MRI first. You need a full picture of what is happening with your joints.
There is not a lot of science behind TMJ right now so there are a lot of theories as to what is right but little real research behind it. I'm not saying that the approach Dr. T takes, Neuromuscular Dentistry, is bad BUT you should try conservative treatments first and inform YOURSELF. Do A LOT of research for yourself and make sure YOU are comfortable with it.
For more information you can visit TMJ HOPE, they have a website and a facebook page. Also reserach Neuromuscular dentistry and decide how you feel about it.
How long have you had these symptoms? What are your symptoms?

In addition to Floridakris, kudos for that info... also a "good" physical therapist can treat you for tmj... your dentist gave you those exercises and thats is a plus most of them dont even tell patients about exercises they just give the mouth piece. I know when your suffering from something like this its hard to believe that exercise will help your jaw but it can!l! in A LOT of cases exercise does help.... do them diligently and be patient..... you should also incorporate stretches and exercise for your neck and shoulders. I def would try natural remedies first before a surgical procedure... you have nothing to lose!

Best of luck!

An orthotic correctly aligned to give you a balanced bite is waay superior to any ole splint/nightguard type arrangment...

A repositioning 'splint' is not permanent, you can take it out any time... and your jaw will return to its old position

Yes - do alot of research!!!
listen to everything and form your own opinion....

Floridakris,

Thank you for your comments, but before you disagree with what I posted, I would like to make sure you are talking about the same thing I am.

As Cath S has posted below a Removable Orthosis is NOT, I repeat NOT a permanent solution. One of the reasons I prescribe them for most of my TMJ patients is specifically because it is reversible. If it doesn't work or is not helping a patient, they can always take it out and you haven't changed the patients bite in any permanent way. There is no drilling on the teeth, there is nothing permanently bonded to the teeth, and when it is removed, the patient has the exact same bite they had before I put it in.

To me the definition of reversible is, if you remove what you have done, there are no permanent changes.

My definition of permanent would be, once you have done it, you can not go back to the way it was before you started.

Maybe you have a different definition of permanent vs. reversible. If so, I think it would be helpful for us all for you to share that with us.

Additionally, muscle relaxers and pain relievers although they may be helpful in the short term, are NOT a cure. If anything their long term use can often be detrimental.

Pain is your bodies way of talking to you. Blocking that communication with pain killers and muscle relaxants is NOT a cure.

Let's say every time you put on the brakes in your car, they make a loud squeeling sound. My solution would be to take the car to the mechanic and get the brakes repaired. Your suggestion to Dawny is too turn the radio up really loud so that she can't hear the brakes squeel any more. You may not hear the loud squeel anymore, but your brakes will eventually fail and you will crash your car.

Please respond to this post and tell us all why you feel a Removable Orthotic is a permanent solution.

Thank you,

Doctor T

I had orthotics done for a dislocation, had to have 8 botox shots for pain in the face but did not need them after the treatment.

When I had the first MRI it said jaw dislocation and then the second after orthotic treatment it said jaws were normal.

There is one of the crown of the left side that is a little high and the MRI sai9d right side a little lower than the left. After this tooth is taken down a little should it be fineI think so because it is not different than a crown someone would have that was a little high caused pain because the teeth don't fit together properly.

Thanks Kathy