TMJ Support Group
Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ syndrome, is an acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the lower jaw to the skull. The disorder and resultant dysfunction can result in significant pain and impairment.
I called early this week about getting a surgical consult and was given the name of a "TMJ specialist" and advised that the jaw surgeon doesn't do surgery unless all appliances have been tried and failed.
Long story short: the office charges for everything. Consultation: $200. CT scan: $400. The splint: $3,000. It does include subsequent fittings for like 12+ weeks. My dental insurance will pay for $560 whole dollars :(
Brief background: I am mid 30's, suffering from severe migraines, recently narrowed down to TMJ. I have tried: acupuncture, tons of meds (still on), adult braces, sinus surgery, I get botox quarterly in my massaters, I rented a biofeedback unit only to learn I'm not grinding at night, MRIs, CT scans, 10 regular mouth guards in 8 years and physical therapy.
So, after all of that--I'm in near constant pain and 10-12 days a month the headaches are so bad that they make me vomit and I have to take narcotic pain meds. You can see why I'm ready to try ANYTHING to get my life back.
My question is: is $3,000 crazy for a split in the Bioesthetic field? It's obviously not a regular plastic mouthguard, it's an orthotic but still. Secondly, I know there is no research supporting this type of thing but does anyone have any experience with this type of dentistry?
Long story short: the office charges for everything. Consultation: $200. CT scan: $400. The splint: $3,000. It does include subsequent fittings for like 12+ weeks. My dental insurance will pay for $560 whole dollars :(
Brief background: I am mid 30's, suffering from severe migraines, recently narrowed down to TMJ. I have tried: acupuncture, tons of meds (still on), adult braces, sinus surgery, I get botox quarterly in my massaters, I rented a biofeedback unit only to learn I'm not grinding at night, MRIs, CT scans, 10 regular mouth guards in 8 years and physical therapy.
So, after all of that--I'm in near constant pain and 10-12 days a month the headaches are so bad that they make me vomit and I have to take narcotic pain meds. You can see why I'm ready to try ANYTHING to get my life back.
My question is: is $3,000 crazy for a split in the Bioesthetic field? It's obviously not a regular plastic mouthguard, it's an orthotic but still. Secondly, I know there is no research supporting this type of thing but does anyone have any experience with this type of dentistry?
Best advice and I did this myself. Before having any splints that could change your bite forever is find a TMJ specialist that REQUIRES both an MRI and cone beam CT scan of your joints, that way you have a full understanding of your joints and can feel comfortable that you have a full picture.
Essentially without an MRI and CT scan then(they need to do BOTH, not just one) they are treating you blind and expecting you to pay. Insane to me.
Thankfully I went with my gut and had those two tests done and it showed my joints were messed up, thankfully I didn't end up wasting more money with stupid splints that would have made me worse.
This is a great website to go to . http://www.tmjhope.org/