navy2
07-04-2003, 01:30 PM
Hi again everyone!
I said I was going to stay off the computer, but, this is the only ploace that I can seem to get some experienced answers. I am also going back on meds today.
Here's the situation:
I've been to numerous dentists and specialists like you all have. I toted my pano's to every one and no one ever said there was a problem ...until i went to a Prostho and was told she thought there was some joint remodeling and less disc space, maybe flattening of something, and MAYBE bone to bone. These were speculations for the most part. As usual, I was anxious over this. Then I brought the pano's back to my general dentist and he showed them to an oral surgeon who said everything was fine.
So, now I went to the neuro. I thought my major problem was the facial pain amd a displaced disc. Maybe I'd need a splint and some dental work. On my second appointment, he said he heard crepitus in my right tmj (that I thought was the good one). Then he had the assistant set me up for sonography. They had me put discs over my tmj's and then I had to open and close a lot and the machine was recording my joint noises and the results showed up on the computer screen. I was told that there was a lot of noise in my joints. The assistant said there was more coming from the right tmj (the one I thought was good) than the left one (that pops). She said that I could have a displaced disc in the left tmj too. It doesn't make any noise, never has from what I can tell. Then she said because they are both connected, one comepensates for the other sometimes. Then the neuro comes in and says not to worry and he'll do the test again next week. So, of course I'm worrying. Crepitus means arthritis or disc degeneration right? The neuro gave me his home phone number, so, I called him yesterday to ask him about the sonography and the crepitus. He did call me back, but, I wasn't home when he called. We are playing phone tag.
So, if there is a problem with arthritis or something else and I just have a mild ache (which I think is muscular), do I just treat it like any other type of arthritis? I've read where after a couple of years the pain subsides and the joint remodels to accomodate. I have complete range of motion.
Also, now this seems possible to me. If I have extreme crackling in my neck & up the back of my head, is it possible for those noises to show up on the sonography tests? The tmj's are so close to the ear and neck anyway. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but, I'm wondering if that's possible.
If there is a problem with my discs, I'm wondering if I should go through the neuro therapy. The cost of my treatment will be well over $4,000 and then there will be dental work as well. I do need the dental work done, but, I'm concerned that the splint may not be the best thing for the arthritis. It would help the other disc though (maybe).
What I've read is the best thing you can do for an arthritic tmj is to rest the jaw. I don't know if splint therapy is the best for it.
So, here I am again. I think I'm getting the right treatment and then something else comes up.
Do many of you have crepitus in your joints? What did it mean for you? Is it possible to just have it from the muscle inflamation? I can hardly hear what the doctor was talking about. My neck and head crackling are loud as ever though. I never asked anyone if they can hear it though.
Right now I can open and close just fine. I'm concerned that if an oral surgeon gets ahold of me he'll want to do surgery. I would think I would have to be on real strong pain medication and have a locking jaw or aomething before surgery was considered. I do have a tightness on the left side of my face. It's pretty uncomfortable at times. The jaw almost seems like it's fighting the muscles sometimes. I have had some crackig in there too. I was hoping this was muscular. But, i have had times over the past few months where it feels like my left tmj kind of locks up when I'm sleeping on it and then i hear a loud pop or shifting when I get up or roll over in bed. It almost feels like the whole left side of my face moves with me
So, who out there has had similar problems, concerns, or diagnoses?
Navy
I said I was going to stay off the computer, but, this is the only ploace that I can seem to get some experienced answers. I am also going back on meds today.
Here's the situation:
I've been to numerous dentists and specialists like you all have. I toted my pano's to every one and no one ever said there was a problem ...until i went to a Prostho and was told she thought there was some joint remodeling and less disc space, maybe flattening of something, and MAYBE bone to bone. These were speculations for the most part. As usual, I was anxious over this. Then I brought the pano's back to my general dentist and he showed them to an oral surgeon who said everything was fine.
So, now I went to the neuro. I thought my major problem was the facial pain amd a displaced disc. Maybe I'd need a splint and some dental work. On my second appointment, he said he heard crepitus in my right tmj (that I thought was the good one). Then he had the assistant set me up for sonography. They had me put discs over my tmj's and then I had to open and close a lot and the machine was recording my joint noises and the results showed up on the computer screen. I was told that there was a lot of noise in my joints. The assistant said there was more coming from the right tmj (the one I thought was good) than the left one (that pops). She said that I could have a displaced disc in the left tmj too. It doesn't make any noise, never has from what I can tell. Then she said because they are both connected, one comepensates for the other sometimes. Then the neuro comes in and says not to worry and he'll do the test again next week. So, of course I'm worrying. Crepitus means arthritis or disc degeneration right? The neuro gave me his home phone number, so, I called him yesterday to ask him about the sonography and the crepitus. He did call me back, but, I wasn't home when he called. We are playing phone tag.
So, if there is a problem with arthritis or something else and I just have a mild ache (which I think is muscular), do I just treat it like any other type of arthritis? I've read where after a couple of years the pain subsides and the joint remodels to accomodate. I have complete range of motion.
Also, now this seems possible to me. If I have extreme crackling in my neck & up the back of my head, is it possible for those noises to show up on the sonography tests? The tmj's are so close to the ear and neck anyway. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but, I'm wondering if that's possible.
If there is a problem with my discs, I'm wondering if I should go through the neuro therapy. The cost of my treatment will be well over $4,000 and then there will be dental work as well. I do need the dental work done, but, I'm concerned that the splint may not be the best thing for the arthritis. It would help the other disc though (maybe).
What I've read is the best thing you can do for an arthritic tmj is to rest the jaw. I don't know if splint therapy is the best for it.
So, here I am again. I think I'm getting the right treatment and then something else comes up.
Do many of you have crepitus in your joints? What did it mean for you? Is it possible to just have it from the muscle inflamation? I can hardly hear what the doctor was talking about. My neck and head crackling are loud as ever though. I never asked anyone if they can hear it though.
Right now I can open and close just fine. I'm concerned that if an oral surgeon gets ahold of me he'll want to do surgery. I would think I would have to be on real strong pain medication and have a locking jaw or aomething before surgery was considered. I do have a tightness on the left side of my face. It's pretty uncomfortable at times. The jaw almost seems like it's fighting the muscles sometimes. I have had some crackig in there too. I was hoping this was muscular. But, i have had times over the past few months where it feels like my left tmj kind of locks up when I'm sleeping on it and then i hear a loud pop or shifting when I get up or roll over in bed. It almost feels like the whole left side of my face moves with me
So, who out there has had similar problems, concerns, or diagnoses?
Navy
Sponsor
Cymy Sue
07-04-2003, 02:52 PM
Navy,
I believe grinding and crunching noises are called crepitus. ( I think this is right)I also think that the noises can be caused from several different things. I believe most people with TMJD problems have experienced these noises at one time or the other. It usually means that the joint is not functioning in perfect alignment. There are a lot of people whose joints make noise, but they do not develope real serious problems.
Cymy Sue
I believe grinding and crunching noises are called crepitus. ( I think this is right)I also think that the noises can be caused from several different things. I believe most people with TMJD problems have experienced these noises at one time or the other. It usually means that the joint is not functioning in perfect alignment. There are a lot of people whose joints make noise, but they do not develope real serious problems.
Cymy Sue
navy2
07-04-2003, 03:24 PM
Cymy Sue!
I could just reach through my computer and hug you to death! Thank-you so much for your post!
So, is that what splint therapy does, line everything up? I would think that the specialist would have to be really good to accomplish that. I know Marlene said they took x-rays before and after to show that her discs were put back in.
Every time I've do a search on crepitus I get information about how it's the final stage, bone to bone, arthritis, degeneration, surgery. It's made me very uneasy. All the info said that they try to treat you when things are in the early stages like popping and clicking,
But, I like your theory so much better. I'm going to hope that it's not bone to bone bad stuff. Besides, the oral surgeon here in town said my pano looked fine and bone to bone I think would have shown up on that. Also, maybe it has to do with the fact that my face was all swollen from that tmj massage work I had done on the muscles in my face. Could fluids cause crepitus? Also, my neck and back of my head crackles like crazy. Maybe that soudn vibrated and showed up on the test? Thank you for giving me some hope! Also, my noises are mostly crackling.
You are the greatest Cymy Sue!
Navy
[This message has been edited by navy2 (edited 07-04-2003).]
I could just reach through my computer and hug you to death! Thank-you so much for your post!
So, is that what splint therapy does, line everything up? I would think that the specialist would have to be really good to accomplish that. I know Marlene said they took x-rays before and after to show that her discs were put back in.
Every time I've do a search on crepitus I get information about how it's the final stage, bone to bone, arthritis, degeneration, surgery. It's made me very uneasy. All the info said that they try to treat you when things are in the early stages like popping and clicking,
But, I like your theory so much better. I'm going to hope that it's not bone to bone bad stuff. Besides, the oral surgeon here in town said my pano looked fine and bone to bone I think would have shown up on that. Also, maybe it has to do with the fact that my face was all swollen from that tmj massage work I had done on the muscles in my face. Could fluids cause crepitus? Also, my neck and back of my head crackles like crazy. Maybe that soudn vibrated and showed up on the test? Thank you for giving me some hope! Also, my noises are mostly crackling.
You are the greatest Cymy Sue!
Navy
[This message has been edited by navy2 (edited 07-04-2003).]
GenDen
07-04-2003, 04:21 PM
The "pano" is just a simple panoramic x-ray. It does not show much detail. A tomogram (a CTscan) is the scan that shows the joint structure in more detail. Then if more detail of the soft tissues is necessary, the next test is an MRI. The function of the splint is to "line up" the bite or put it in the optimal position and also to rest the joint. If you have a specialist who successfully treats TMJ dysfunction on a regular basis, you should be fine with his treatment. If it eases your mind, there are lots of people with displaced discs who function normally. The body adapts quite well. It isn't necessary to capture the disc, though it is nice if it happens, if the joint is stabilized and is able to heal.
navy2
07-04-2003, 04:35 PM
Hi GenDen,
Thank-you for your post. I pretty much was cofortable with the line of treatment I chose. But, now something else has been thrown into the scenario.
Crepitus was heard in the right tmj during sonography. That could be arthritis or degeneration, right? I was also told that the right disc could be displaced too. I have never had a problem with that before. No noise, pain, anything in that joint. Just facial pain and tightness.
Navy
Thank-you for your post. I pretty much was cofortable with the line of treatment I chose. But, now something else has been thrown into the scenario.
Crepitus was heard in the right tmj during sonography. That could be arthritis or degeneration, right? I was also told that the right disc could be displaced too. I have never had a problem with that before. No noise, pain, anything in that joint. Just facial pain and tightness.
Navy
GenDen
07-04-2003, 04:43 PM
Navy,
If you search the web you can find labeled drawings of the jaw and jaw joint. You can see how the joint works and how the disc works and where it is positioned. You can see how the condyle fits in the fossa. I find a visual picture helps. My advice is not to borrow trouble by imagining the worst. I know noises are scary, but crepitus or joint noise has a variety of causes and is usually very treatable. I wish there was a website of posted success stories. It would ease your mind. However, people who finish their treatment usually get on with their lives and don't post any more. As you read this board, it seems like everyone has TMJ Dysfunction problems. Most everyone here does. A year from now you would find a different set of people posting here. Most everyone posting now will have been successfully treated and have moved on.
If you search the web you can find labeled drawings of the jaw and jaw joint. You can see how the joint works and how the disc works and where it is positioned. You can see how the condyle fits in the fossa. I find a visual picture helps. My advice is not to borrow trouble by imagining the worst. I know noises are scary, but crepitus or joint noise has a variety of causes and is usually very treatable. I wish there was a website of posted success stories. It would ease your mind. However, people who finish their treatment usually get on with their lives and don't post any more. As you read this board, it seems like everyone has TMJ Dysfunction problems. Most everyone here does. A year from now you would find a different set of people posting here. Most everyone posting now will have been successfully treated and have moved on.
navy2
07-04-2003, 04:57 PM
Thank-you GenDen,
You seem very knowledgeable. I am still learning. My Chiro said that crepitus means joint noise. But, everything I have read about TMJ says that the crackling noise (crepitis) means osteoarthritis and degeneration has set in. In other words the 3 layers of the cartillage have broken down and it is now bone to bone. Apparently, it is best to get treatment when you are just clicking and popping. Less than 5% of TMJ sufferers reach the arthritis point. But, apparently that's what the crackling means. The person that gave me the sonography was very surprised with my results. GenDen, I would love to be one of those success stories, but, every time I go for treatment they find another problem. I know the Pano is a pretty basic x-ray. But, it's supposed to show bone abnormalties, bone remodeling, and arthritic changes, and the oral surgeon said mine was fine. So again how could I have crepitus and arthritis going on? But that's what the neuro heard when he examined me and that's what the sonography showed. My general dentist had the oral surgeon look at the Pano's because the Prostho said there were problems. He said there were no problems. No I go to the neuro and I have possibly the same problem that the prostho originally talked to me about. I appreciate your post. But, I haven't been able to find anything that doesn't say that crackling crepitus isn't arthritis or degeneration. If you can find somewhere that says different, I'd love for you to tell me where I can read about it. By the way, i think you should be a TMJ specialist. You'd be a good one!
Hoping to be a success story someday!
Navy
[This message has been edited by navy2 (edited 07-04-2003).]
You seem very knowledgeable. I am still learning. My Chiro said that crepitus means joint noise. But, everything I have read about TMJ says that the crackling noise (crepitis) means osteoarthritis and degeneration has set in. In other words the 3 layers of the cartillage have broken down and it is now bone to bone. Apparently, it is best to get treatment when you are just clicking and popping. Less than 5% of TMJ sufferers reach the arthritis point. But, apparently that's what the crackling means. The person that gave me the sonography was very surprised with my results. GenDen, I would love to be one of those success stories, but, every time I go for treatment they find another problem. I know the Pano is a pretty basic x-ray. But, it's supposed to show bone abnormalties, bone remodeling, and arthritic changes, and the oral surgeon said mine was fine. So again how could I have crepitus and arthritis going on? But that's what the neuro heard when he examined me and that's what the sonography showed. My general dentist had the oral surgeon look at the Pano's because the Prostho said there were problems. He said there were no problems. No I go to the neuro and I have possibly the same problem that the prostho originally talked to me about. I appreciate your post. But, I haven't been able to find anything that doesn't say that crackling crepitus isn't arthritis or degeneration. If you can find somewhere that says different, I'd love for you to tell me where I can read about it. By the way, i think you should be a TMJ specialist. You'd be a good one!
Hoping to be a success story someday!
Navy
[This message has been edited by navy2 (edited 07-04-2003).]
Cymy Sue
07-04-2003, 05:42 PM
Navy,
In some cases, crepitus (clicking and grinding) can be contributed to osteo or rheumatoid arthritis. This is usually in persons over 60 years of age.
Clicking and grinding noises emmitting from the TMJ area can also be caused from the muscle attachment to the bone near the joint. This is common in youger people. (Younger than 60)
One of the most (recent) significant studies done demonstrates that crepitus or noise from the joint area is caused by occlusional problems and not the joint itself.
Joint noise can mean many things. It can occur from several sources. For each of us, it's different.
CASE: Mal-formed joints from birth.
Severly deteriorated disc.
Diagnosed arthritic early 20's
Several failed surgeries that accelerated
degeneration.
Necrotic (or dead) bone. Nerve damage.
Mandibular bone grafts.
Bone on bone for many years due to dislocated
and shredded disc.
Bilateral disc replacements. Shredding again
after a little over 2 years.
Bilateral Discectomy. Bone on bone until scar
tissue formed. About a year.
Diagnosed over 25 years ago with TMJ and have experienced very little, if any, noise from the joint areas, ever. No explanation as to why there was no noise.
Briefly, this is me. There's a lot more, but I thought I would try to help and ease your mind, that the noise does not always mean what your reading it means. There is so much contradictory information on the net from one site to the other, it's easy to get very upset, while you're waiting for answers. (You may not be looking in the right place for the information you need.)
I hope this helps a little,
Cymy Sue
[This message has been edited by Cymy Sue (edited 07-04-2003).]
In some cases, crepitus (clicking and grinding) can be contributed to osteo or rheumatoid arthritis. This is usually in persons over 60 years of age.
Clicking and grinding noises emmitting from the TMJ area can also be caused from the muscle attachment to the bone near the joint. This is common in youger people. (Younger than 60)
One of the most (recent) significant studies done demonstrates that crepitus or noise from the joint area is caused by occlusional problems and not the joint itself.
Joint noise can mean many things. It can occur from several sources. For each of us, it's different.
CASE: Mal-formed joints from birth.
Severly deteriorated disc.
Diagnosed arthritic early 20's
Several failed surgeries that accelerated
degeneration.
Necrotic (or dead) bone. Nerve damage.
Mandibular bone grafts.
Bone on bone for many years due to dislocated
and shredded disc.
Bilateral disc replacements. Shredding again
after a little over 2 years.
Bilateral Discectomy. Bone on bone until scar
tissue formed. About a year.
Diagnosed over 25 years ago with TMJ and have experienced very little, if any, noise from the joint areas, ever. No explanation as to why there was no noise.
Briefly, this is me. There's a lot more, but I thought I would try to help and ease your mind, that the noise does not always mean what your reading it means. There is so much contradictory information on the net from one site to the other, it's easy to get very upset, while you're waiting for answers. (You may not be looking in the right place for the information you need.)
I hope this helps a little,
Cymy Sue
[This message has been edited by Cymy Sue (edited 07-04-2003).]
navy2
07-04-2003, 07:59 PM
Hi Cymy Sue,
Thank-you for taking the time to reply to my post. You have been through it all, and still take the time to encourage and help others, You are a terrific person!
The noise that they are hearing from my joint is crackling. It's the crackling that they say is arthritis. Apparently, from what I read, they have an idea of what's going on in the joint by the type of noise and at what time you click or pop. They say clicking and popping are disc displacement or joints just making noise. CRACKLING seems to be a problem and that's what they say is crepitus (although the definition of crepitus is any noise in the joint). Gtinding is also supposed to be a problem with the bone. My problem is the crackling. I'm still hanging on to what you have said though.
I haven't heard from my doctor. I don't expect to, being that it's a holiday. He called last night while I was out. I've been very wooried. From now on, I have to make sure that I don't leave a doctors office until I thoroughly understand what's going on ..especially with test results. I just wish my husband could take off from work and go with me. But, I know he can't do that.
I just went grocery shopping and got my medication to calm me down. I haven't been taking any kind of medication but an antibiotic and prevacid through all of this. My PT has more or less sent me out on my own. She thinks that I have gone as far as I can with PT, because every time we get to the strengthening exercises I have a flare up. I guess my facial muscles just aren't very athletic ..ha! Plus, I don't like to do the ones that make me open my mouth wide because I click my joint. I don't want to do anything that makes me click on purpose. My medical won't pay for maintenace, which basically it was starting to become. So, now I'm shelling out $65 an hour to have a TMJ massage therapist help keep me out of pain. I don't know how long I can afford to do that.
We are a one income family, with a kid going to college soon and another one in competitive gymnastics, which is not cheap, Thank goodness we have sponsors in town. Then I still have a son serving in Iraq. Everytime I turn on the news and hear about all the adversity, it just eats me up inside. Those men and women are going through so much. I pray they all make it home safely and soon!
It's just so frustrating getting different opinions and treatment plans for my tmj. Some of the doctors I've see have scared me to death with their ideas of how I should proceed with treatment. Some of them, I feel are just guessing at what might cure me. Others just want to make a mold of your teeth, send it off to a lab, and then charge you a bunch of money for a splint that may or may not work. Of course breaking my jaw and putting me in braces has been another option. Of course, they never even mentioned anything about my tmj joints or my muscle problems. If you ask me, the medical community needs to have a meeting and decide the best way to treat tmj. Everyone tells you something different. They even have different interpretations of the radiology reports.
When I was out I found myself looking at all the happy smiling faces throughout the store, wondering the whole time if I was the only one in the store with an aching cheek bone ..probably not. My PT told me that you can tell the people that have tmj, by how their bottom jaw deviates off to the side when they talk. Now, I find myself watching people and feeling sorry that they are in pain too. I stopped to ship something when I was out amd I started talking to my friend that owns the place. He didn't even know what TMJ was. He thought it was nuts to spend $5,000 for treatment and a splint (I'm not too thrilled about it myself). He said that he broke his jaw twice and once in a while when he eats a big sub or something it locks up on him. He didn't think it was a big deal. He's going out to his cabin on the lake today and enjoy life. Must be nice.
Maybe GenDen is right, a year from now I'll have gone through treatment and be well, I hope it is that easy. I guess it's a matter of finding the right doctor for me.
Sometimes, when I'm trying to pull myself out of a depression, I think, I'm 48 years old and just starting out on this tmj joint problem. So, if they hear crepitus or something else in my joint, as long as I can open and close my mouth, it shouldn't matter. I bet there are a lot of 48 year olds with degeneration in their joints. Maybe I'm trying to make myself feel better.
When you mentioned not having any noise, but, a lot of problems, you must have been in a lot of pain. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all you did Cymy Sue. But, it sounds like you are doing better with the new splint and finding a good doctor.
Right now I'm trying to calm down. I don't know what to expect at the doctors next week, but, hopefully I can get my jaw stabilzed and the disc taken care of and eventually my teeth fixed. I hope that I'm not in such bad shape that he can't treat me through neuro muscular dentistry. I pray that I don't get told I have to go to an oral surgeon.
If I have arthritis then I'll have to hope it isn't too bad. It would probably help if I went back on my glucosamine and everything else I know I should be doing to help myself and my joints. I recently had a bone density test for osteopororsis and I have the bones of a 20 year old. I'm thrilled with the numbers, because I had the hysterectomy a year ago, and I never could go on the Estrogen because of the blood disorder in the family. All those years of drinking milk by the gallons and my husband threatening to put a cow in the backyard and make us milk it, (because we would go through a gallon a day), must have paid off!
My doctor said that if I was to get rhueamatoid (spelling?) arthritis I would have it by now. Apparently, it's hereditary and we don't have it in our family.
My older sister must think I've gone over the edge. I actually called her and told her that my joint was bone to bone and I might need an implant. I actually thought that I didn't want a long life if I was going to have a life of excrutiating facial pain. I was so depressed about the tmj. No one else in my family has the problem and if they click, they don't have pain. My niece, who is an attorney, has a lot of stress and she had a knot in her face the size of a walnut (according to her mother), she bit through 2 night guards. I don't know if she has it under control now
or what.
Well Cymy Sue, I better go take care of dinner. Our kitchen is still tore up for the remodeling. So, it's either take-out or microwaveable food. Hopefully we'll have our sink in by tomorrow. It will look nice when it's done though. Thank goodness my husband is doing all the work. Otherwise, we could never afford to have it done.
Thanks for the information!
Hugs!
Navy
[This message has been edited by navy2 (edited 07-04-2003).]
Thank-you for taking the time to reply to my post. You have been through it all, and still take the time to encourage and help others, You are a terrific person!
The noise that they are hearing from my joint is crackling. It's the crackling that they say is arthritis. Apparently, from what I read, they have an idea of what's going on in the joint by the type of noise and at what time you click or pop. They say clicking and popping are disc displacement or joints just making noise. CRACKLING seems to be a problem and that's what they say is crepitus (although the definition of crepitus is any noise in the joint). Gtinding is also supposed to be a problem with the bone. My problem is the crackling. I'm still hanging on to what you have said though.
I haven't heard from my doctor. I don't expect to, being that it's a holiday. He called last night while I was out. I've been very wooried. From now on, I have to make sure that I don't leave a doctors office until I thoroughly understand what's going on ..especially with test results. I just wish my husband could take off from work and go with me. But, I know he can't do that.
I just went grocery shopping and got my medication to calm me down. I haven't been taking any kind of medication but an antibiotic and prevacid through all of this. My PT has more or less sent me out on my own. She thinks that I have gone as far as I can with PT, because every time we get to the strengthening exercises I have a flare up. I guess my facial muscles just aren't very athletic ..ha! Plus, I don't like to do the ones that make me open my mouth wide because I click my joint. I don't want to do anything that makes me click on purpose. My medical won't pay for maintenace, which basically it was starting to become. So, now I'm shelling out $65 an hour to have a TMJ massage therapist help keep me out of pain. I don't know how long I can afford to do that.
We are a one income family, with a kid going to college soon and another one in competitive gymnastics, which is not cheap, Thank goodness we have sponsors in town. Then I still have a son serving in Iraq. Everytime I turn on the news and hear about all the adversity, it just eats me up inside. Those men and women are going through so much. I pray they all make it home safely and soon!
It's just so frustrating getting different opinions and treatment plans for my tmj. Some of the doctors I've see have scared me to death with their ideas of how I should proceed with treatment. Some of them, I feel are just guessing at what might cure me. Others just want to make a mold of your teeth, send it off to a lab, and then charge you a bunch of money for a splint that may or may not work. Of course breaking my jaw and putting me in braces has been another option. Of course, they never even mentioned anything about my tmj joints or my muscle problems. If you ask me, the medical community needs to have a meeting and decide the best way to treat tmj. Everyone tells you something different. They even have different interpretations of the radiology reports.
When I was out I found myself looking at all the happy smiling faces throughout the store, wondering the whole time if I was the only one in the store with an aching cheek bone ..probably not. My PT told me that you can tell the people that have tmj, by how their bottom jaw deviates off to the side when they talk. Now, I find myself watching people and feeling sorry that they are in pain too. I stopped to ship something when I was out amd I started talking to my friend that owns the place. He didn't even know what TMJ was. He thought it was nuts to spend $5,000 for treatment and a splint (I'm not too thrilled about it myself). He said that he broke his jaw twice and once in a while when he eats a big sub or something it locks up on him. He didn't think it was a big deal. He's going out to his cabin on the lake today and enjoy life. Must be nice.
Maybe GenDen is right, a year from now I'll have gone through treatment and be well, I hope it is that easy. I guess it's a matter of finding the right doctor for me.
Sometimes, when I'm trying to pull myself out of a depression, I think, I'm 48 years old and just starting out on this tmj joint problem. So, if they hear crepitus or something else in my joint, as long as I can open and close my mouth, it shouldn't matter. I bet there are a lot of 48 year olds with degeneration in their joints. Maybe I'm trying to make myself feel better.
When you mentioned not having any noise, but, a lot of problems, you must have been in a lot of pain. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all you did Cymy Sue. But, it sounds like you are doing better with the new splint and finding a good doctor.
Right now I'm trying to calm down. I don't know what to expect at the doctors next week, but, hopefully I can get my jaw stabilzed and the disc taken care of and eventually my teeth fixed. I hope that I'm not in such bad shape that he can't treat me through neuro muscular dentistry. I pray that I don't get told I have to go to an oral surgeon.
If I have arthritis then I'll have to hope it isn't too bad. It would probably help if I went back on my glucosamine and everything else I know I should be doing to help myself and my joints. I recently had a bone density test for osteopororsis and I have the bones of a 20 year old. I'm thrilled with the numbers, because I had the hysterectomy a year ago, and I never could go on the Estrogen because of the blood disorder in the family. All those years of drinking milk by the gallons and my husband threatening to put a cow in the backyard and make us milk it, (because we would go through a gallon a day), must have paid off!
My doctor said that if I was to get rhueamatoid (spelling?) arthritis I would have it by now. Apparently, it's hereditary and we don't have it in our family.
My older sister must think I've gone over the edge. I actually called her and told her that my joint was bone to bone and I might need an implant. I actually thought that I didn't want a long life if I was going to have a life of excrutiating facial pain. I was so depressed about the tmj. No one else in my family has the problem and if they click, they don't have pain. My niece, who is an attorney, has a lot of stress and she had a knot in her face the size of a walnut (according to her mother), she bit through 2 night guards. I don't know if she has it under control now
or what.
Well Cymy Sue, I better go take care of dinner. Our kitchen is still tore up for the remodeling. So, it's either take-out or microwaveable food. Hopefully we'll have our sink in by tomorrow. It will look nice when it's done though. Thank goodness my husband is doing all the work. Otherwise, we could never afford to have it done.
Thanks for the information!
Hugs!
Navy
[This message has been edited by navy2 (edited 07-04-2003).]
navy2
07-07-2003, 07:14 PM
bump