KMX
04-24-2003, 03:23 PM
Hi Everyone,
My son and I are suffering horribly with TMJ that was caused by incompetent orthodontic treatment. We have just returned from seeing a world renowned specialist in the US who has agreed to treat us. We were perfectly healthy when we transferred treatment to a new orthodontist when we moved to Calgary but this new orthodontist began pushing hard on our lower jaws and forcing it back and then without our knowledge or consent began forcing our top teeth back to trap our lower jaw back in this forced position. Immediately we began experiencing pain in our jaw joints, jaws and teeth, then our TMJ symptoms grew and grew. We had no idea what was happening to us since we had never heard of TMJ and the orthodontist kept lying to us, telling us our symptoms were a normal part of treatment or unrelated. Within 6 months my son and I were so ill I could no longer work and he was too ill to attend school. Our faces were obviously caved in from our teeth being rammed back and yet the orthodontist refused to acknowledge a problem or refund our money. He also bad mouthed us to other orthodontist so that no one would help us. Further to this he doctored our records and lied about what he did to us, but luckily we can prove this. The dental community knows all about TMJ and what causes it and what needs to be done to cure it but they keep it from the general public to protect themselves from being held accountable and so that they can make money selling us false treatments that never cure us and keep us spending our money to get help. Have you noticed that almost all pain clinics for TMJ are run by dentist or orthodontists yet very few address the alignment of the teeth as part of their treatment? That's the way it is in Alberta. They offer all kinds of therapies that do nothing to address the cause, keeping you sick and dependant on them. TMJ is the name of the jaw joint, big clue. The teeth decide the resting position of the jaw and therefore determine the placement of the condyles within the socket. If the condyles are pushed back they compress a group of nerves that sit in the back of the socket that cause all kinds of seemingly unconnected symptoms but it's deferred pain, meaning you may have eye problems but the eye doctor will find nothing wrong with your eyes. It's the nerves being compressed and sending out messed up signals to cause all these strange symptoms. This means that if your back hurts, massage may temporarily releive some of the pain but since the injury is not actually in the back, the pain will return and you will continue to suffer. Only when the jaw position is corrected, which almost always involves correcting the alignment of the teeth to return the jaw to the correct resting position will the TMJ pain and symptoms be relieved. The headaches, the ear pain, the eye pressure, the numbness in the arms and hands, etc..., all of it is deferred pain so don't try treating the symptoms, address the cause. The displacement of the jaw joints compressing the nerves and sending messed up signals to the brain. When addressing the cause there is a 98% chance of a full recovery and the 2% is only complicated cases with other contributing factors. TMJ is not a mystery anymore, they have known for many years now exactly what it is and what causes it and what will cure it. The only problem is that the dental community has kept it a secret to protect themselves from lawsuits and to make money off our ignorance. Research Dr. John Witzig, he was a leader in discovering the cause of TMJ and the treatment, you can even find his case studies on line and see the process from beginning to end. Push beyond what your being told, it can be cured. I was told that my son and I would have to live our lifetimes suffering with no hope yet I just returned from the US with the knowledge that we will be pain free in the very near future. I spoke to many of his patients that suffered for years, one woman over 40 years and now they are pain free and cured. Only when people refuse to fall for the lies and push harder to know the truth. Only when we pursue negligent practitioners and force them to practice safe orthodontics and dental care will it change. As long as they continue to keep the truth a big secret, we will continue to suffer while they profit on our pain. They count on our fear to keep us in the dark, they make us feel were wrong to question them, they abuse their power over us. I was told that I had analysis paralysis and that I asked too many questions but if I hadn't kept going my son and I would not be on the road to recovery right now. I have been threatened, we have been treated like we have done something wrong but we never gave up and now were getting help. Treatment is very expensive, you can waste it on useless therapies or you can put it towards treatment that will cure you 100%. They don't mind taking your money knowing you will never get better but you mind, don't you? TMJ is not caused by stress but stress makes it worse, like any other chronic illness. TMJ is not a psychological problem but of course being ill and in constant pain has a negative effect on you. Councelling will do nothing to relieve your TMJ pain or symptoms and I would beware any therapist who says otherwise. As long as your suffering your whole body and mind will be effected so the best thing to do is to address the root cause, period. The same is true of medication, the medication does nothing to address the cause of the pain and rarely fully relieves it so taking medication that keeps you in a fog causes more damage than good and hurts your body further. I am not a doctor or a dentist, I am nothing more than a woman suffering from TMJ and the mother of a TMJ sufferer but I am pleading with everyone out there to trust that I have researched TMJ and all the therapies and controversy surrounding it and I believe I know the truth about it and how it's caused and what needs to be done to treat it. Dental professionals and those benefiting with keeping you in the dark will try very hard to convince you otherwise but I have nothing to gain from what I'm telling you other than to help someone who suffers as I do. I was so sick at Christmas time that I was consumed with escaping my pain and only my children kept me going. I had to watch my son suffer, pleading for me to help him and helples, unable to rescue him. I understand how bad it can be and how hard it is to get help and I am committed to helping as many people as I can with my experience. It's the only way I can make sense of it. I will share everything I can with anyone and I will happily answer to critisism because I know with all the misinformation out there it will be hard for many of you to believe me. I respect that many of you have been suffering much longer than I have but I have talked with a woman who suffered 40 years who is now cured and I know she only found relief when she addressed the cause, the alignment of her jaw and teeth. She tried everything and was close to the end but now she's okay. Don't settle for pain management, you can be pain free and get your life back. Also it's important to know that TMJ is progressive so it will get much worse if the cause is not addressed, massage therapy will not prevent this from happening, or any other pallitive care. Also if you have TMJ your teeth and jaw joints are being damaged every minute of everyday and you will end up much worse without the proper treatment. My son and I have had it for a little over a year yet our teeth and jaw joints have suffered severe damage. If you haven't already, have your TMJ's x-rayed to determine the damage. I met a man who was injured in a car accident over 20 years ago and only started getting really sick the last couple of years. When his jaw joints were examined it showed he had been suffering all those years but men are much slower to show symptoms compared to woman so he had no idea after he recovered from the original injury, that he was suffering continued damage. It was only when his vision and eyes became seriously affected that he began looking for the cause and was diagnosed with TMJ. As far as orthodontic treatment goes, it should be mandatory to x-ray the TMJ's before and during treatment so that any injury or change in the jaw position is immediately apparent and can be addressed before any damage occurs. This is the best way to protect patients, along with knowing the signs and symptoms of TMJ and fully understanding what causes it so that they can protect themselves. Since whenever the teeth are moved it affects the jaw and leaves the patient at risk of TMJ, though orthodontics should never result in TMJ. Also dentists should inform patients routinely of TMJ signs and symptoms since a filling done to high or a missing tooth can also cause a change in your bite that leads to TMJ. Well I could go on and I, as I'm sure you have noticed, so I'll end it here and invite you all to respond to what I've written.
Kelly
My son and I are suffering horribly with TMJ that was caused by incompetent orthodontic treatment. We have just returned from seeing a world renowned specialist in the US who has agreed to treat us. We were perfectly healthy when we transferred treatment to a new orthodontist when we moved to Calgary but this new orthodontist began pushing hard on our lower jaws and forcing it back and then without our knowledge or consent began forcing our top teeth back to trap our lower jaw back in this forced position. Immediately we began experiencing pain in our jaw joints, jaws and teeth, then our TMJ symptoms grew and grew. We had no idea what was happening to us since we had never heard of TMJ and the orthodontist kept lying to us, telling us our symptoms were a normal part of treatment or unrelated. Within 6 months my son and I were so ill I could no longer work and he was too ill to attend school. Our faces were obviously caved in from our teeth being rammed back and yet the orthodontist refused to acknowledge a problem or refund our money. He also bad mouthed us to other orthodontist so that no one would help us. Further to this he doctored our records and lied about what he did to us, but luckily we can prove this. The dental community knows all about TMJ and what causes it and what needs to be done to cure it but they keep it from the general public to protect themselves from being held accountable and so that they can make money selling us false treatments that never cure us and keep us spending our money to get help. Have you noticed that almost all pain clinics for TMJ are run by dentist or orthodontists yet very few address the alignment of the teeth as part of their treatment? That's the way it is in Alberta. They offer all kinds of therapies that do nothing to address the cause, keeping you sick and dependant on them. TMJ is the name of the jaw joint, big clue. The teeth decide the resting position of the jaw and therefore determine the placement of the condyles within the socket. If the condyles are pushed back they compress a group of nerves that sit in the back of the socket that cause all kinds of seemingly unconnected symptoms but it's deferred pain, meaning you may have eye problems but the eye doctor will find nothing wrong with your eyes. It's the nerves being compressed and sending out messed up signals to cause all these strange symptoms. This means that if your back hurts, massage may temporarily releive some of the pain but since the injury is not actually in the back, the pain will return and you will continue to suffer. Only when the jaw position is corrected, which almost always involves correcting the alignment of the teeth to return the jaw to the correct resting position will the TMJ pain and symptoms be relieved. The headaches, the ear pain, the eye pressure, the numbness in the arms and hands, etc..., all of it is deferred pain so don't try treating the symptoms, address the cause. The displacement of the jaw joints compressing the nerves and sending messed up signals to the brain. When addressing the cause there is a 98% chance of a full recovery and the 2% is only complicated cases with other contributing factors. TMJ is not a mystery anymore, they have known for many years now exactly what it is and what causes it and what will cure it. The only problem is that the dental community has kept it a secret to protect themselves from lawsuits and to make money off our ignorance. Research Dr. John Witzig, he was a leader in discovering the cause of TMJ and the treatment, you can even find his case studies on line and see the process from beginning to end. Push beyond what your being told, it can be cured. I was told that my son and I would have to live our lifetimes suffering with no hope yet I just returned from the US with the knowledge that we will be pain free in the very near future. I spoke to many of his patients that suffered for years, one woman over 40 years and now they are pain free and cured. Only when people refuse to fall for the lies and push harder to know the truth. Only when we pursue negligent practitioners and force them to practice safe orthodontics and dental care will it change. As long as they continue to keep the truth a big secret, we will continue to suffer while they profit on our pain. They count on our fear to keep us in the dark, they make us feel were wrong to question them, they abuse their power over us. I was told that I had analysis paralysis and that I asked too many questions but if I hadn't kept going my son and I would not be on the road to recovery right now. I have been threatened, we have been treated like we have done something wrong but we never gave up and now were getting help. Treatment is very expensive, you can waste it on useless therapies or you can put it towards treatment that will cure you 100%. They don't mind taking your money knowing you will never get better but you mind, don't you? TMJ is not caused by stress but stress makes it worse, like any other chronic illness. TMJ is not a psychological problem but of course being ill and in constant pain has a negative effect on you. Councelling will do nothing to relieve your TMJ pain or symptoms and I would beware any therapist who says otherwise. As long as your suffering your whole body and mind will be effected so the best thing to do is to address the root cause, period. The same is true of medication, the medication does nothing to address the cause of the pain and rarely fully relieves it so taking medication that keeps you in a fog causes more damage than good and hurts your body further. I am not a doctor or a dentist, I am nothing more than a woman suffering from TMJ and the mother of a TMJ sufferer but I am pleading with everyone out there to trust that I have researched TMJ and all the therapies and controversy surrounding it and I believe I know the truth about it and how it's caused and what needs to be done to treat it. Dental professionals and those benefiting with keeping you in the dark will try very hard to convince you otherwise but I have nothing to gain from what I'm telling you other than to help someone who suffers as I do. I was so sick at Christmas time that I was consumed with escaping my pain and only my children kept me going. I had to watch my son suffer, pleading for me to help him and helples, unable to rescue him. I understand how bad it can be and how hard it is to get help and I am committed to helping as many people as I can with my experience. It's the only way I can make sense of it. I will share everything I can with anyone and I will happily answer to critisism because I know with all the misinformation out there it will be hard for many of you to believe me. I respect that many of you have been suffering much longer than I have but I have talked with a woman who suffered 40 years who is now cured and I know she only found relief when she addressed the cause, the alignment of her jaw and teeth. She tried everything and was close to the end but now she's okay. Don't settle for pain management, you can be pain free and get your life back. Also it's important to know that TMJ is progressive so it will get much worse if the cause is not addressed, massage therapy will not prevent this from happening, or any other pallitive care. Also if you have TMJ your teeth and jaw joints are being damaged every minute of everyday and you will end up much worse without the proper treatment. My son and I have had it for a little over a year yet our teeth and jaw joints have suffered severe damage. If you haven't already, have your TMJ's x-rayed to determine the damage. I met a man who was injured in a car accident over 20 years ago and only started getting really sick the last couple of years. When his jaw joints were examined it showed he had been suffering all those years but men are much slower to show symptoms compared to woman so he had no idea after he recovered from the original injury, that he was suffering continued damage. It was only when his vision and eyes became seriously affected that he began looking for the cause and was diagnosed with TMJ. As far as orthodontic treatment goes, it should be mandatory to x-ray the TMJ's before and during treatment so that any injury or change in the jaw position is immediately apparent and can be addressed before any damage occurs. This is the best way to protect patients, along with knowing the signs and symptoms of TMJ and fully understanding what causes it so that they can protect themselves. Since whenever the teeth are moved it affects the jaw and leaves the patient at risk of TMJ, though orthodontics should never result in TMJ. Also dentists should inform patients routinely of TMJ signs and symptoms since a filling done to high or a missing tooth can also cause a change in your bite that leads to TMJ. Well I could go on and I, as I'm sure you have noticed, so I'll end it here and invite you all to respond to what I've written.
Kelly
Sponsor
hbep
04-24-2003, 04:13 PM
Hi Kelly,
I am relatively new to all this, so am not really in an informed enough position to comment on what you say, but I am curious what treatment you and your son will now be undergoing - splint therapy?
Although, thinking about it, there is one thing I am curious about. Some people with a perfect bite experience tmjd. I can't remember who, (apologies) but I know someone on this board has a perfectly aligned bite, and I know my dentist showed me the model of someone's teeth who has tmjd (she doesn't treat it, or make money off tmjd sufferers, so has no investment either way) who also had no overbite/cross bite etc... Curious, if it is always to do with a mis aligned bite, how these people can have it? Surely this would point to a muscular problem caused by, say, clenching or grinding, or posture problems in some cases, and a bite problem in others. Like I said, I am fairly new to this, so am no expert, others here know far more than me, but am curious what you think,
[This message has been edited by hbep (edited 04-24-2003).]
I am relatively new to all this, so am not really in an informed enough position to comment on what you say, but I am curious what treatment you and your son will now be undergoing - splint therapy?
Although, thinking about it, there is one thing I am curious about. Some people with a perfect bite experience tmjd. I can't remember who, (apologies) but I know someone on this board has a perfectly aligned bite, and I know my dentist showed me the model of someone's teeth who has tmjd (she doesn't treat it, or make money off tmjd sufferers, so has no investment either way) who also had no overbite/cross bite etc... Curious, if it is always to do with a mis aligned bite, how these people can have it? Surely this would point to a muscular problem caused by, say, clenching or grinding, or posture problems in some cases, and a bite problem in others. Like I said, I am fairly new to this, so am no expert, others here know far more than me, but am curious what you think,
[This message has been edited by hbep (edited 04-24-2003).]
GenDen
04-24-2003, 04:32 PM
Search the web for American Association for Functional Orthodontics for information on Functional Orthodontics and Functional Orthopedics.
Al4
04-24-2003, 04:34 PM
My jaw problems started with hard pushing of the lower jaw by a doc.
twiztid
04-24-2003, 05:09 PM
Ahmen to this letter!
KMX tells it like it is.
After reading this post, I felt like storming down to my orthodontist office and beat him up! hehe.. and I don't even know yet if I have TMJD!
KMX, you sound very confident in your knowledge. I to know the feeling that when you have researched an ailment, and instead of the doctor being impressed that you took the time to look into things, and brought him questions that "other" people say you should ask.. they get offended. I have even seen doctors who were so "upset" and offended that I said "Well, I e-mailed a doctor online and he said I should ask you about...." and that doctor told me "Well then, let him treat you" and closed the door on me. And this is a country with health care.
geez...
KMX: Good luck in your treatment.
KMX tells it like it is.
After reading this post, I felt like storming down to my orthodontist office and beat him up! hehe.. and I don't even know yet if I have TMJD!
KMX, you sound very confident in your knowledge. I to know the feeling that when you have researched an ailment, and instead of the doctor being impressed that you took the time to look into things, and brought him questions that "other" people say you should ask.. they get offended. I have even seen doctors who were so "upset" and offended that I said "Well, I e-mailed a doctor online and he said I should ask you about...." and that doctor told me "Well then, let him treat you" and closed the door on me. And this is a country with health care.
geez...
KMX: Good luck in your treatment.
HRevero
04-24-2003, 09:36 PM
Hey Kelly, thanks for reboosting our hope.
Maybe you can help me into understanding this disorder. I never quite understand the medical lingo. I got tmj on a roller coaster at Magic Mountain. My story is somewhere on this site. What type of questions do you ask? I had to fight to get my x-rays done. (I finally get to go on Monday). My specialist is being a real prick about it, but has finally agreed. I also got a splint about 2 months ago, and now it is having problems fitting, already. I am constantly in pain. I have been able to hide it for so long now, I don't really know how not to. Ths board has been really informative, but I guess I just don't really understand what I need to do next. how did the people you met get cured? You talked about the alignment of your jaw, I personally have an overbite, and not to mention receeding gums. What does aligning intail?My specialist (the prick) has told me that my problem is all muscle, can aligning my jaw help? How can I get them to do it?
Heather
------------------
Maybe you can help me into understanding this disorder. I never quite understand the medical lingo. I got tmj on a roller coaster at Magic Mountain. My story is somewhere on this site. What type of questions do you ask? I had to fight to get my x-rays done. (I finally get to go on Monday). My specialist is being a real prick about it, but has finally agreed. I also got a splint about 2 months ago, and now it is having problems fitting, already. I am constantly in pain. I have been able to hide it for so long now, I don't really know how not to. Ths board has been really informative, but I guess I just don't really understand what I need to do next. how did the people you met get cured? You talked about the alignment of your jaw, I personally have an overbite, and not to mention receeding gums. What does aligning intail?My specialist (the prick) has told me that my problem is all muscle, can aligning my jaw help? How can I get them to do it?
Heather
------------------
KMX
04-24-2003, 10:17 PM
hbep,
In answer to your question about the teeth appearing to be a perfect bite...My teeth appeared to be perfectly straight and to fit together but the orthodontist had pushed in my lower jaw and then pushed back my upper teeth to trap my lower jaw in this forced position. To look at my teeth you would never know my teeth were misaligned but when you looked at the x-ray of my jaw joints/TMJ's you can see that my condyles were flattened against the back of the TMJ socket and this caused me to suffer from severe TMJ symptoms. When I say my teeth are grossly misaligned, I mean that they are pushed back forcing my jaw back. They look perfectly fine but I am in so much pain I can't even close my teeth. The teeth decide the resting place of the jaw and the joints of the jaw. If the teeth are moved backwards, they force the jaw backwards and the joints therefore go backwards and as I said there is a bunch of nerves in the back of the TMJ socket that are compressed when the condyle is pushed back against them. Also the bone begins to deteriorate causing the condyle to be deformed. A health condyle, that has adequate space within the socket should have room all around the socket in an x-ray. When it is torn from the ligaments it shifts back and hits on the wall of the socket damaging the condyles and compressing the nerves that are at the back of the socket. This bunch of nerves is a very important bunch of nerves and when compress causes distress through the nervous system and brain that eventually leads to the pain and symptoms experienced by TMJ suffers. Your body will fight to try to correct this often causing you to grind or clench you teeth and wearing down your teeth fighting to try and correct the displacement of the jaw. As far as treatment, splint therapy is only the beginning, it alone can not correct the problem. The splint merely acts as the teeth would if they were in the right position, pulling the jaw forward and if down right putting the condyles in the correct position. The splint allows the joints to heal and if done right the splint should heal the joints in the right position in several months time. The next step is to move the teeth to the right position to support the correct jaw position and the correct condyle position. Without addressing the alignment of the teeth, you will be stuck wearing a splint forever and if you take it off your teeth will most likely wear down because they won't fit together right.
It is possible to be born with a displaced jaw and suffer from TMJ from a young age. It is also possible to have whiplash and displace the jaw and develope TMJ as a result but it always is affected by the alignment of the teeth. As far as a dentist saying it's not caused by the alignment of the teeth, even if a dentist doesn't treat TMJ they protect their fellow dental practitioners, trust me I know what I'm talking about. The dental community has been concealing the truth about TMJ for many, many years to protect their members from lawsuits. Orthodontist that have caused it, dentists that remove teeth and don't replace them with something leaving them to shift out of line, dentist who do a sloppy job with fillings, oral surgeons who damage the jaw removing wisdom teeth, etc...You have to remember that even if the don't treat TMJ they are affected by the publics knowledge of how it is caused. Also dentists and orthodontists are all part of the same organizations and the same insurance companies cover all of them in the same organizations so they would never want any of their members informing patients of the truth because it would affect them all. For example the dentists in my city all worked very hard to cover up what was done to us and lied to us but consider they belong to the same association that the orthodontist that did this to us does and they get their license from this same organization. Also the insurance company covers all the members of this organization so they would never want the dentist to tell the truth about the orthodontist because then their own insurance company has to pay the damages of what was done to us. The dental community is extremely tight, they protect each other and their organizations. When you understand this you can understand why they all work so hard to cover up the truth. Also remember that it's the same organizations that license the dentists and the orthodontists that treat TMJ and their making money off these clinics that mislead the public about what treatments help TMJ, it's all about money. Once again consider what TMJ stands for - it's the name of the joints in your jaw. Massage, accupunture, therapy, whatever is not going to treat the joints of your jaw. Only addressed the alignment of your jaw, which is decided by the alignment of your teeth can treat TMJ. The x-rays tell the truth about the placement of the jaw. Get a book that shows healthy TMJ joints and you will see that there is space all around the condyle and the head of the condyle is rounded and full. If your x-ray shows the condyle is up against the wall of the socket or without adequate space and the condyle is mishapen, flattened, lipped or deteriorated, then your jaw is displaced and you need to have this addressed with splint therapy and then the alignement of your teeth. The longer you leave it the more damage with occur to your jaw joints and your teeth and the worse your symptoms will get, period.
I hope I addressed all the questions you raised, if not write back and I will happily explain anything you need to know. I have books, videos and I'm being treated by the best of the best. I will tell you the truth as I know it and you can decide for yourself to believe me. I don't want anyone suffering needlessly when there is treatment that will stop the pain and help you be well again. God didn't allow this to happen to us without a reason and I've decided he knew that I would work to make sure the truth is know by all those suffering. I plan to do everything I can to make sure the cause and proper treatment of TMJ is known to the general public. If I haven't convinced you, ask me more and give me the chance to inform you the way I have been. I only want to help, especially those who have been lied to and mislead, kept sick by lies all for the sake of making money and protecting practioners who know better and simply don't care. I might sound like a nut but I am determined to help as many people as I can. My son and I were perfectly healthy before this was done to us and it is sickening how we were denied care when we were victims of a health practitioner. If we had cancer, we would have been helped immediately but because we discovered their dirty little secret we were treated like we deserved to be left suffering and we were the problems, not the negligent health care professional who did this to us. When I think of all the children that have been harmed by the one who harmed us, and that it may take years to discover why they don't feel well, why they have constant headaches and feel dizzy and nauseated. Why they don't feel quite right and seem to be getting sicker and sicker for no apparent reason, I feel driven to do something about it and I will somehow, someway. Even those who have it because of some trama to their jaw that are paying for bogus treatment that the dental professionals know will never cure them but are happy to leave them suffering to take their money for useless treatment. It amazes me that they have gotten away with it so long and the only way to stop them is to inform the general public so they refuse to allow it to continue. I know it's hard to believe that the dentist you like so much would lie to you but you have to understand that there is alot of pressure on them to do just that. You also have to understand that they know the truth, I have tapes from orthodontic seminars and lectures and I have books and dental journals that have been reporting the truth to dental professionals for years, they just haven't passed the truth on to us so that they continue to be protected from lawsuits and can continue making money on bogus therapies. Once again if TMJ has nothing to do with the teeth than why do dentists and orthodontists treat it, in fact most doctors will tell you that it's a dental condition and only a dental practitioner treats it, that's what my doctor told me when we discovered we had it. Of course it's all about the teeth because the teeth decide the positioning of the jaw and the jaw joints. When you think of it it's so clear and so logical it amazes me that they have gotten away with deceiving the public for so long.
Kelly
In answer to your question about the teeth appearing to be a perfect bite...My teeth appeared to be perfectly straight and to fit together but the orthodontist had pushed in my lower jaw and then pushed back my upper teeth to trap my lower jaw in this forced position. To look at my teeth you would never know my teeth were misaligned but when you looked at the x-ray of my jaw joints/TMJ's you can see that my condyles were flattened against the back of the TMJ socket and this caused me to suffer from severe TMJ symptoms. When I say my teeth are grossly misaligned, I mean that they are pushed back forcing my jaw back. They look perfectly fine but I am in so much pain I can't even close my teeth. The teeth decide the resting place of the jaw and the joints of the jaw. If the teeth are moved backwards, they force the jaw backwards and the joints therefore go backwards and as I said there is a bunch of nerves in the back of the TMJ socket that are compressed when the condyle is pushed back against them. Also the bone begins to deteriorate causing the condyle to be deformed. A health condyle, that has adequate space within the socket should have room all around the socket in an x-ray. When it is torn from the ligaments it shifts back and hits on the wall of the socket damaging the condyles and compressing the nerves that are at the back of the socket. This bunch of nerves is a very important bunch of nerves and when compress causes distress through the nervous system and brain that eventually leads to the pain and symptoms experienced by TMJ suffers. Your body will fight to try to correct this often causing you to grind or clench you teeth and wearing down your teeth fighting to try and correct the displacement of the jaw. As far as treatment, splint therapy is only the beginning, it alone can not correct the problem. The splint merely acts as the teeth would if they were in the right position, pulling the jaw forward and if down right putting the condyles in the correct position. The splint allows the joints to heal and if done right the splint should heal the joints in the right position in several months time. The next step is to move the teeth to the right position to support the correct jaw position and the correct condyle position. Without addressing the alignment of the teeth, you will be stuck wearing a splint forever and if you take it off your teeth will most likely wear down because they won't fit together right.
It is possible to be born with a displaced jaw and suffer from TMJ from a young age. It is also possible to have whiplash and displace the jaw and develope TMJ as a result but it always is affected by the alignment of the teeth. As far as a dentist saying it's not caused by the alignment of the teeth, even if a dentist doesn't treat TMJ they protect their fellow dental practitioners, trust me I know what I'm talking about. The dental community has been concealing the truth about TMJ for many, many years to protect their members from lawsuits. Orthodontist that have caused it, dentists that remove teeth and don't replace them with something leaving them to shift out of line, dentist who do a sloppy job with fillings, oral surgeons who damage the jaw removing wisdom teeth, etc...You have to remember that even if the don't treat TMJ they are affected by the publics knowledge of how it is caused. Also dentists and orthodontists are all part of the same organizations and the same insurance companies cover all of them in the same organizations so they would never want any of their members informing patients of the truth because it would affect them all. For example the dentists in my city all worked very hard to cover up what was done to us and lied to us but consider they belong to the same association that the orthodontist that did this to us does and they get their license from this same organization. Also the insurance company covers all the members of this organization so they would never want the dentist to tell the truth about the orthodontist because then their own insurance company has to pay the damages of what was done to us. The dental community is extremely tight, they protect each other and their organizations. When you understand this you can understand why they all work so hard to cover up the truth. Also remember that it's the same organizations that license the dentists and the orthodontists that treat TMJ and their making money off these clinics that mislead the public about what treatments help TMJ, it's all about money. Once again consider what TMJ stands for - it's the name of the joints in your jaw. Massage, accupunture, therapy, whatever is not going to treat the joints of your jaw. Only addressed the alignment of your jaw, which is decided by the alignment of your teeth can treat TMJ. The x-rays tell the truth about the placement of the jaw. Get a book that shows healthy TMJ joints and you will see that there is space all around the condyle and the head of the condyle is rounded and full. If your x-ray shows the condyle is up against the wall of the socket or without adequate space and the condyle is mishapen, flattened, lipped or deteriorated, then your jaw is displaced and you need to have this addressed with splint therapy and then the alignement of your teeth. The longer you leave it the more damage with occur to your jaw joints and your teeth and the worse your symptoms will get, period.
I hope I addressed all the questions you raised, if not write back and I will happily explain anything you need to know. I have books, videos and I'm being treated by the best of the best. I will tell you the truth as I know it and you can decide for yourself to believe me. I don't want anyone suffering needlessly when there is treatment that will stop the pain and help you be well again. God didn't allow this to happen to us without a reason and I've decided he knew that I would work to make sure the truth is know by all those suffering. I plan to do everything I can to make sure the cause and proper treatment of TMJ is known to the general public. If I haven't convinced you, ask me more and give me the chance to inform you the way I have been. I only want to help, especially those who have been lied to and mislead, kept sick by lies all for the sake of making money and protecting practioners who know better and simply don't care. I might sound like a nut but I am determined to help as many people as I can. My son and I were perfectly healthy before this was done to us and it is sickening how we were denied care when we were victims of a health practitioner. If we had cancer, we would have been helped immediately but because we discovered their dirty little secret we were treated like we deserved to be left suffering and we were the problems, not the negligent health care professional who did this to us. When I think of all the children that have been harmed by the one who harmed us, and that it may take years to discover why they don't feel well, why they have constant headaches and feel dizzy and nauseated. Why they don't feel quite right and seem to be getting sicker and sicker for no apparent reason, I feel driven to do something about it and I will somehow, someway. Even those who have it because of some trama to their jaw that are paying for bogus treatment that the dental professionals know will never cure them but are happy to leave them suffering to take their money for useless treatment. It amazes me that they have gotten away with it so long and the only way to stop them is to inform the general public so they refuse to allow it to continue. I know it's hard to believe that the dentist you like so much would lie to you but you have to understand that there is alot of pressure on them to do just that. You also have to understand that they know the truth, I have tapes from orthodontic seminars and lectures and I have books and dental journals that have been reporting the truth to dental professionals for years, they just haven't passed the truth on to us so that they continue to be protected from lawsuits and can continue making money on bogus therapies. Once again if TMJ has nothing to do with the teeth than why do dentists and orthodontists treat it, in fact most doctors will tell you that it's a dental condition and only a dental practitioner treats it, that's what my doctor told me when we discovered we had it. Of course it's all about the teeth because the teeth decide the positioning of the jaw and the jaw joints. When you think of it it's so clear and so logical it amazes me that they have gotten away with deceiving the public for so long.
Kelly
KMX
04-25-2003, 12:37 AM
Hi Heather,
First of all you need to find another doctor to treat you because the one you have doesn't know what he's talking about. TMJ is the name of the joints of the jaw, which of course means that the condition is related to the joints of your jaw. The muscle symptoms are a side effect of the displacement of your jaw joints, not the cause, and treating them without addressing your jaw joints will not bring you long term relief. You said you got TMJ from a ride which would be similar to someone who had whiplash and developed TMJ. The trama tears the ligaments that hold the condyles of your jaw joints in place making them unstable. What most likely happened in your case, as in most TMJ cases is that the jaw joints shifted backwards out of place and this caused you to suffer from TMJ. I bet if you looked at pictures of before and after the incident you notice a change in you face and lower jaw position, especially profile. When the condyles move back they are experience damage as they hit against the wall of the socket and over time the condyle becomes deformed, often flattened and mishapen, sometimes lipped and narrowed. It also compresses the bunch of nerves at the back of the socket which causes the TMJ symptoms. I spoke to a man that had been in a car accident and viewed his x-rays of his condyles which were back from the normal position and much thinner than normal and lipped at one end. The way to treat this is that you need to first find someone who knows what he's doing. Then phase one involves a specially made splint that you were all the time to protect the jaw joint and teeth from further damage and to move the jaw to the correct position and hold it there so that the joints can heal. They can't heal unless they are stablized, which only a splint can do since we use a jaw constantly, 2000 times a day approximately. Once the jaw joints are healed in the correct position, the condyles balanced properly in the socket space, leaving room around it to move and function properly, you then move on to phase 2. In your case your teeth have probably been shifted from the pressure of the jaw being displaced so the teeth will need to be properly aligned again to correct the shifting caused by your jaw injury. The way to align your teeth depends on your situation. It may involve crowns to correct it or orthdontics, etc...It depends but the purpose will be to make your teeth support the correct jaw position that the splint has now created to heal your condyles in the correct position. The splint alone is not enough because it's very unlikely that your teeth have not been affected by the displacement of your jaw, whether by wear or shifting. Some aligning or reconstruction is almost always necessary to support the jaw in the correct position. Also it's very unlikely that the jaw will heal exactly where it was prior to the injury. It will be close but exactly the same is probably unlikely so some adjustment to the teeth would most likely be necessary, unless you want to be stuck in a splint the rest of your life, which is not good for your teeth and I wouldn't recommend it. It's very simple to understand once you understand the mechanics of it. The condyles are held in place by ligaments and if you tear these ligaments the condyles are unstable and move freely in the socket, which causes damage to the joints and TMJ. To heal the condyles you need to hold them in the correct position which is done by the splint and then allow them to heal. Then you need to make sure the teeth are aligned to support the correct position of the jaw and the jaw joints. The teeth are like a puzzle, they must be perfectly aligned to fit together and even the slightest problem will throw them all off. If the teeth don't fit properly, the jaw can sit properly, since the teeth are in the jaw and decide it's resting place and alignment. What's amazing is when you get the splint just right and it's supporting your jaw in the correct position, your pain and symptoms will fade away. All the other symptoms are secondary, deferred symptoms. To cure the root cause, cures the secondary symptoms. My son got his splint a little over a week ago and the pressure behind his eyes is gone. His headaches are almost completely gone. His symptoms have faded away. I got a new splint that fits better at the same time and I can move my neck again. I've stopped vomitting from the migraines and my headaches are 80% better, etc...We also feel stronger and less fuzzy, able to concentrate better. The docter assures us our symptoms will completely disappear very soon. Then when our jaw joints are healed and stable he will be to address the alignment of our teeth. I hope I've helped but if you need further information I would be happy to help.
Kelly
First of all you need to find another doctor to treat you because the one you have doesn't know what he's talking about. TMJ is the name of the joints of the jaw, which of course means that the condition is related to the joints of your jaw. The muscle symptoms are a side effect of the displacement of your jaw joints, not the cause, and treating them without addressing your jaw joints will not bring you long term relief. You said you got TMJ from a ride which would be similar to someone who had whiplash and developed TMJ. The trama tears the ligaments that hold the condyles of your jaw joints in place making them unstable. What most likely happened in your case, as in most TMJ cases is that the jaw joints shifted backwards out of place and this caused you to suffer from TMJ. I bet if you looked at pictures of before and after the incident you notice a change in you face and lower jaw position, especially profile. When the condyles move back they are experience damage as they hit against the wall of the socket and over time the condyle becomes deformed, often flattened and mishapen, sometimes lipped and narrowed. It also compresses the bunch of nerves at the back of the socket which causes the TMJ symptoms. I spoke to a man that had been in a car accident and viewed his x-rays of his condyles which were back from the normal position and much thinner than normal and lipped at one end. The way to treat this is that you need to first find someone who knows what he's doing. Then phase one involves a specially made splint that you were all the time to protect the jaw joint and teeth from further damage and to move the jaw to the correct position and hold it there so that the joints can heal. They can't heal unless they are stablized, which only a splint can do since we use a jaw constantly, 2000 times a day approximately. Once the jaw joints are healed in the correct position, the condyles balanced properly in the socket space, leaving room around it to move and function properly, you then move on to phase 2. In your case your teeth have probably been shifted from the pressure of the jaw being displaced so the teeth will need to be properly aligned again to correct the shifting caused by your jaw injury. The way to align your teeth depends on your situation. It may involve crowns to correct it or orthdontics, etc...It depends but the purpose will be to make your teeth support the correct jaw position that the splint has now created to heal your condyles in the correct position. The splint alone is not enough because it's very unlikely that your teeth have not been affected by the displacement of your jaw, whether by wear or shifting. Some aligning or reconstruction is almost always necessary to support the jaw in the correct position. Also it's very unlikely that the jaw will heal exactly where it was prior to the injury. It will be close but exactly the same is probably unlikely so some adjustment to the teeth would most likely be necessary, unless you want to be stuck in a splint the rest of your life, which is not good for your teeth and I wouldn't recommend it. It's very simple to understand once you understand the mechanics of it. The condyles are held in place by ligaments and if you tear these ligaments the condyles are unstable and move freely in the socket, which causes damage to the joints and TMJ. To heal the condyles you need to hold them in the correct position which is done by the splint and then allow them to heal. Then you need to make sure the teeth are aligned to support the correct position of the jaw and the jaw joints. The teeth are like a puzzle, they must be perfectly aligned to fit together and even the slightest problem will throw them all off. If the teeth don't fit properly, the jaw can sit properly, since the teeth are in the jaw and decide it's resting place and alignment. What's amazing is when you get the splint just right and it's supporting your jaw in the correct position, your pain and symptoms will fade away. All the other symptoms are secondary, deferred symptoms. To cure the root cause, cures the secondary symptoms. My son got his splint a little over a week ago and the pressure behind his eyes is gone. His headaches are almost completely gone. His symptoms have faded away. I got a new splint that fits better at the same time and I can move my neck again. I've stopped vomitting from the migraines and my headaches are 80% better, etc...We also feel stronger and less fuzzy, able to concentrate better. The docter assures us our symptoms will completely disappear very soon. Then when our jaw joints are healed and stable he will be to address the alignment of our teeth. I hope I've helped but if you need further information I would be happy to help.
Kelly
JMM
04-25-2003, 03:54 PM
My ENT thinks I have TMJD. I never thought about it until just now but when I close my teeth together the lower teeth must come forward a little bit to meet the top teeth. The ENT gave me a muscle relaxer to take before bed but it doesn't seem to be helping much. I am going to a physical therapist next Tuesday for the first time. What should I do next? I haven't called my dentist yet.
KMX
04-25-2003, 07:47 PM
Hi JMM,
The most important test to determine if you have TMJ is to have the TMJ's x-rayed to determine if they are displaced. Since TMJ is caused by the condyles of the jaw joints being torn from the ligaments and left unstable, most likely causing them to shift backwards, shifting the jaw backwards. I would suggest you go to your dentist if you truly trust him and feel he will direct you to the right TMJ specialist but beware because there is a lot of misinformation out there about TMJ and how to treat it. For example surgery is almost never the answer and almost always makes it worse. Also pallitive care is almost always of very little use without addressing the cause, the displacement of the jaw. Ask a lot of questions and research it as much as possible and get a second, third or fourth opinion if your unclear of any diagnosis or treatment plan. TMJ can be cured but very few practitioners seem to have this goal in mind when treating TMJ, shoot for the cure and don't get lost in all the useless therapies out there.
Kelly
[This message has been edited by KMX (edited 04-25-2003).]
The most important test to determine if you have TMJ is to have the TMJ's x-rayed to determine if they are displaced. Since TMJ is caused by the condyles of the jaw joints being torn from the ligaments and left unstable, most likely causing them to shift backwards, shifting the jaw backwards. I would suggest you go to your dentist if you truly trust him and feel he will direct you to the right TMJ specialist but beware because there is a lot of misinformation out there about TMJ and how to treat it. For example surgery is almost never the answer and almost always makes it worse. Also pallitive care is almost always of very little use without addressing the cause, the displacement of the jaw. Ask a lot of questions and research it as much as possible and get a second, third or fourth opinion if your unclear of any diagnosis or treatment plan. TMJ can be cured but very few practitioners seem to have this goal in mind when treating TMJ, shoot for the cure and don't get lost in all the useless therapies out there.
Kelly
[This message has been edited by KMX (edited 04-25-2003).]
JMM
04-25-2003, 08:42 PM
Thanks Kelly. I'll call my dentist tomorrow and I do trust him. When I started getting these symptoms 2 months ago I thought I had some terrible disease. I went to several doctors and only my ENT came up with TMJ. I guess I'll know for sure after I get the x-rays done. I have all the classic symptoms of TMJ though. Thanks for the advice.
Janet
Janet