velvetgrl
10-12-2003, 05:59 AM
Hi Alex,
I was wondering if you ever got any answers from your doctor. How are you doing with the splint, any change in the ear or joint noises? Do your condoyles still feel shakey when you chew? I can't even imagine what that is like!
I have contacted my doctor by e-mail and left a message as well. My family and I have decided that I need to be monitored closely and having a TMJ dentist so far away is not working for my particular case. I'm not going to even begin to go into the money I've spent, because that is not the issue ....my health is the issue. I am not doing well Alex. I have a lot of pain and other issues that have developed since getting fitted for my splint. The doctor I have been seeing is very knowledgeable and has helped a lot of people, but, I need care closer to home. My doctor can not treat me over the phone and I cannot hop on a plane every time something goes wrong. I am concerned about the pain and inflamation in the joint and the new symptoms. I pray that one of the specialists that I have recently been made aware of can help me. I hope that your treatment works out for you Alex. I'm still curious about the jaw being too forward concept. I never gave that a thought until Marlene (and then you) brought up the possibility. Hopefully, the specialist that I see here can put this in perspective and get me out of pain.
Take care Alex!
velvetgrl
I was wondering if you ever got any answers from your doctor. How are you doing with the splint, any change in the ear or joint noises? Do your condoyles still feel shakey when you chew? I can't even imagine what that is like!
I have contacted my doctor by e-mail and left a message as well. My family and I have decided that I need to be monitored closely and having a TMJ dentist so far away is not working for my particular case. I'm not going to even begin to go into the money I've spent, because that is not the issue ....my health is the issue. I am not doing well Alex. I have a lot of pain and other issues that have developed since getting fitted for my splint. The doctor I have been seeing is very knowledgeable and has helped a lot of people, but, I need care closer to home. My doctor can not treat me over the phone and I cannot hop on a plane every time something goes wrong. I am concerned about the pain and inflamation in the joint and the new symptoms. I pray that one of the specialists that I have recently been made aware of can help me. I hope that your treatment works out for you Alex. I'm still curious about the jaw being too forward concept. I never gave that a thought until Marlene (and then you) brought up the possibility. Hopefully, the specialist that I see here can put this in perspective and get me out of pain.
Take care Alex!
velvetgrl
Sponsor
Al4
10-12-2003, 12:40 PM
Velvetgrl:
I am sorry that you are not doing well with your splint. If your symptoms are getting worse, you may need to talk to your doc to see if you should stop wearing it. I know that living far from his office makes it difficult to examine your progress closely and make any adjustments to your splint. As I was told, the neuro splint is supposed to have a high success rate without needing many adjustments. But who knows how true that is. Obviously that is not exactly the case for us (I have only had the adjusted splint for one week though), although it worked very well for Diane. Really without a large number of provable, consistent, repeatable and successful results, everything is a hit and miss. The reason I had to go out of state was because I could not find a qualified doc that I trusted in my state. Otherwise staying in state would have made it much easier for follow-up care and probably much cheaper too. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do next. I really hope splint therapy works for us like it did for a few others on this board.
I have not talked to my doc yet. I have not had bad pain (that was never my main problem anyway) and the splint does not feel too uncomfortable. The internal derangement with all the increased joint noises and my horrible ear problems are my main problems. I will let you know how things work out.
[This message has been edited by Al4 (edited 10-13-2003).]
I am sorry that you are not doing well with your splint. If your symptoms are getting worse, you may need to talk to your doc to see if you should stop wearing it. I know that living far from his office makes it difficult to examine your progress closely and make any adjustments to your splint. As I was told, the neuro splint is supposed to have a high success rate without needing many adjustments. But who knows how true that is. Obviously that is not exactly the case for us (I have only had the adjusted splint for one week though), although it worked very well for Diane. Really without a large number of provable, consistent, repeatable and successful results, everything is a hit and miss. The reason I had to go out of state was because I could not find a qualified doc that I trusted in my state. Otherwise staying in state would have made it much easier for follow-up care and probably much cheaper too. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do next. I really hope splint therapy works for us like it did for a few others on this board.
I have not talked to my doc yet. I have not had bad pain (that was never my main problem anyway) and the splint does not feel too uncomfortable. The internal derangement with all the increased joint noises and my horrible ear problems are my main problems. I will let you know how things work out.
[This message has been edited by Al4 (edited 10-13-2003).]
velvetgrl
10-12-2003, 01:59 PM
Hi Alex,
WOW! To read Rebecca Griffiths site and the testimonials, you would think she had a lot of experience helping people with TMJ. I'm beginning to wonder just how much we can be helped if we have actual joint problems. I've searched sites and there seems to be more confidence in helping people with muscular problems and headaches than actual joint problems. Maybe all we can hope for is to decompress the joints, so, they don't get arthritic or beat up, get our bites fixed, out of pain, and live with the clicking and popping discs. I know my TMJ doctor talks about his wife that went through the therapy and she still pops and clicks. He said she will probably always pop and click because she's had it since she was a teenager. He doesn't seem to be too concerned about the disc being displaced. If it gets recaptured fine, if not, the joint is decompressed and we will not die in pain from beat up arthritic joints apparently. I asked about locking in the future if the disc was not recaptured, his response was the chances of that happening were nill, because the joint would be decompressed. I brought up about the disc wearing out and going bone on bone and locking. I forget what he said, but, there didn't seem to be a problem if the joint was decompressed. Then, I had a dentist tell me recently that the bite may not be stable. But, I'm pretty sure that when I was shown the condoyle, it showed it lined up in the fossa. So, that should be fine, right? I think LVI needs to change their website about clicking and popping (displaced) discs. They make it sound like they can recapture anyone's displaced discs by the neuromuscular splint treatment. That is not the case. It depends on the soft tissue damage and how long you have been clicking and popping. I never noticed the joint noises until about 9 months ago. That doesn't mean that I wasn't clicking some for years though. Now I'm told that my discs could really be beat up too. Of course an MRI would actually show the true condition and the TMJ dentists don't use them most of the time. They use the tomograms and are more concerned with the hard tissue and the bite. Who knows anymore what to think? Maybe my friends that live with there TMJ, take the meds, and ignore the clicking know something that I don't. There is no basis for whether you should seek treatment or not for displaced discs. I guess if there is no pain and you can open your mouth, why bother. I thought going for treatment guaranteed me that this would not get worse. I thought I was doing this for my health and that I would not have pain in the future. I wasn't going to be locking in my goldwn years. Well, I'm in more pain now. Again, who knows anymore? I've had a lot of pain, but, today I'm really resting the joint. I figure at this point, I'll probably always have joint problems. I don't have a lot of hope of this getting any better. I will be happy with the pain going away. I started with displaced discs and hardly any pain, months ago. Hopefully I can get back to that point. I will wear a splint because I think it gives my jaw a break and maybe a chance to heal. I've read so much about splint therapy, I think it's hit and miss for actually recapturing the disc. I will be interested what the TMJ dentist here says. I think I will accompany my husband to the Functional Orthodontists office that has treated TMJ successfully for many years and has taught it to many dentists. This is the one that my TMJ dentist was so impressed with. I think I would like his opinion on my case too. So, for now, I am wearing the splint, my bite is already changing, and hopefully the pain will go away. Alex, I have already made up my mind that I am not going back to the TMJ dentist that was treating me. I think I need to be seen by someone that I can get to a little easier when I have complications, pains, or problems with my treatment plan. I've already notified my TMJ dentist and I will be going to another specialist that I can drive to next week. I have already paid for all of phase I, so, they should be sending me all my records, scans, x-rays, etc. The TMJ dentist that I was seeing is a wonderful person and doctor. He will bend over backwards to help his patients get out of pain. I have no doubt that he could help me if I lived closer. I just need to be able to pick up the phone, make an appointment, and get in the car and drive if I need help. This is the case with my TMJ.
By the way, did your doctor ever let you read any testimonials or anything from other TMJ patients that he's treated? I know Diane had success, but, she doesn't have the internal derangement like you and I have. Here's was pretty serious, but, had a lot of muscular components to it. You and I have mostly structural/joint related problems. My TMJ dentist said he had over a 100 cases and that he needed to put some testimonials on his website. I wonder how many actually had their discs recaptured through the neuromuscular splint therapy? That was my main concern when I started treatment (painful popping and clicking joint) and the reason I actually went in the first place. I guess I was looking for the magic cure. There is no magic cure for TMJ displaced discs...and I'm sure not seeing a surgeon. So Alex, how are you feeling today? Does it still feel like your condoyles are unstable when you chew? Are you going to check into whether you might have been brought too far forward? I'm still popping out the right side when I take the splint out to brush my teeth. the pain in the joint is fine as long as I don't open my mouth to live in any shape or form. Obviously, I need to get to a TMJ doctor and get checked out.
Alex, I sincerely wish you success with your splint therapy. Keep me posted on your progress. It would be wonderful if everything worked out for you and you were symptom free.
Take care!
velvetgrl
[This message has been edited by velvetgrl (edited 10-12-2003).]
WOW! To read Rebecca Griffiths site and the testimonials, you would think she had a lot of experience helping people with TMJ. I'm beginning to wonder just how much we can be helped if we have actual joint problems. I've searched sites and there seems to be more confidence in helping people with muscular problems and headaches than actual joint problems. Maybe all we can hope for is to decompress the joints, so, they don't get arthritic or beat up, get our bites fixed, out of pain, and live with the clicking and popping discs. I know my TMJ doctor talks about his wife that went through the therapy and she still pops and clicks. He said she will probably always pop and click because she's had it since she was a teenager. He doesn't seem to be too concerned about the disc being displaced. If it gets recaptured fine, if not, the joint is decompressed and we will not die in pain from beat up arthritic joints apparently. I asked about locking in the future if the disc was not recaptured, his response was the chances of that happening were nill, because the joint would be decompressed. I brought up about the disc wearing out and going bone on bone and locking. I forget what he said, but, there didn't seem to be a problem if the joint was decompressed. Then, I had a dentist tell me recently that the bite may not be stable. But, I'm pretty sure that when I was shown the condoyle, it showed it lined up in the fossa. So, that should be fine, right? I think LVI needs to change their website about clicking and popping (displaced) discs. They make it sound like they can recapture anyone's displaced discs by the neuromuscular splint treatment. That is not the case. It depends on the soft tissue damage and how long you have been clicking and popping. I never noticed the joint noises until about 9 months ago. That doesn't mean that I wasn't clicking some for years though. Now I'm told that my discs could really be beat up too. Of course an MRI would actually show the true condition and the TMJ dentists don't use them most of the time. They use the tomograms and are more concerned with the hard tissue and the bite. Who knows anymore what to think? Maybe my friends that live with there TMJ, take the meds, and ignore the clicking know something that I don't. There is no basis for whether you should seek treatment or not for displaced discs. I guess if there is no pain and you can open your mouth, why bother. I thought going for treatment guaranteed me that this would not get worse. I thought I was doing this for my health and that I would not have pain in the future. I wasn't going to be locking in my goldwn years. Well, I'm in more pain now. Again, who knows anymore? I've had a lot of pain, but, today I'm really resting the joint. I figure at this point, I'll probably always have joint problems. I don't have a lot of hope of this getting any better. I will be happy with the pain going away. I started with displaced discs and hardly any pain, months ago. Hopefully I can get back to that point. I will wear a splint because I think it gives my jaw a break and maybe a chance to heal. I've read so much about splint therapy, I think it's hit and miss for actually recapturing the disc. I will be interested what the TMJ dentist here says. I think I will accompany my husband to the Functional Orthodontists office that has treated TMJ successfully for many years and has taught it to many dentists. This is the one that my TMJ dentist was so impressed with. I think I would like his opinion on my case too. So, for now, I am wearing the splint, my bite is already changing, and hopefully the pain will go away. Alex, I have already made up my mind that I am not going back to the TMJ dentist that was treating me. I think I need to be seen by someone that I can get to a little easier when I have complications, pains, or problems with my treatment plan. I've already notified my TMJ dentist and I will be going to another specialist that I can drive to next week. I have already paid for all of phase I, so, they should be sending me all my records, scans, x-rays, etc. The TMJ dentist that I was seeing is a wonderful person and doctor. He will bend over backwards to help his patients get out of pain. I have no doubt that he could help me if I lived closer. I just need to be able to pick up the phone, make an appointment, and get in the car and drive if I need help. This is the case with my TMJ.
By the way, did your doctor ever let you read any testimonials or anything from other TMJ patients that he's treated? I know Diane had success, but, she doesn't have the internal derangement like you and I have. Here's was pretty serious, but, had a lot of muscular components to it. You and I have mostly structural/joint related problems. My TMJ dentist said he had over a 100 cases and that he needed to put some testimonials on his website. I wonder how many actually had their discs recaptured through the neuromuscular splint therapy? That was my main concern when I started treatment (painful popping and clicking joint) and the reason I actually went in the first place. I guess I was looking for the magic cure. There is no magic cure for TMJ displaced discs...and I'm sure not seeing a surgeon. So Alex, how are you feeling today? Does it still feel like your condoyles are unstable when you chew? Are you going to check into whether you might have been brought too far forward? I'm still popping out the right side when I take the splint out to brush my teeth. the pain in the joint is fine as long as I don't open my mouth to live in any shape or form. Obviously, I need to get to a TMJ doctor and get checked out.
Alex, I sincerely wish you success with your splint therapy. Keep me posted on your progress. It would be wonderful if everything worked out for you and you were symptom free.
Take care!
velvetgrl
[This message has been edited by velvetgrl (edited 10-12-2003).]
Al4
10-12-2003, 02:40 PM
Velvetgrl,
Good luck with your treatment. Let us know about your progress and the type of treatment you will be having with the new dentist. I too did not have any joint noises a year ago. Unbelievable that a doc would manipulate my jaw so hard as to dislocate the disk, start the joint noises, and lead me down this TMJ road. The way it happened I am not sure I can ever accept the joint damage and noises. Alex
Good luck with your treatment. Let us know about your progress and the type of treatment you will be having with the new dentist. I too did not have any joint noises a year ago. Unbelievable that a doc would manipulate my jaw so hard as to dislocate the disk, start the joint noises, and lead me down this TMJ road. The way it happened I am not sure I can ever accept the joint damage and noises. Alex
velvetgrl
10-12-2003, 02:58 PM
Hi Alex,
I just edited the "book" I posted to you. I know what you mean about acceptng the joint noises. Mine started after dental work. It has been a rollercoaster almost 2 years since then. I had no idea what a condoyle, fossa, displaced disc was before then. I'm now 48 years old and I can't believe I'm going through all this. I almost hate to start over and do the tests again. I look at my friends and think to myself, they probably don't have perfect joints and condoyles either ...who does at my age? But, I've learned so much about TMJ, I've been determined to make sure that I got the best treatment possible so that I don't wind up locking and in pain in the future. Over $15,000 later, I'm still where I was when I started out ...now with more symptoms. My husband is leary of changing jobs because of the TMJ coverage. This is ridiculous. My tmj dentist said I should be thank-ful that I have teeth, no bone loss, and condoyles that are not the worst he's ever seen anyway...but, that doesn't help the pain I have or the displaced painful popping and clicking. That's why I want treatment. Now I'm finding that even if I have all the expensive dental work, I'll probably always have trouble with the joints. I do not want surgery. Then there is still the question of what is actually happening on my right side. I think it's time to see someone here for the problem and maybe get an MRI to see how healthy the discs and soft tissue are. Cymy Sue brought up that it's important to know that to see if you can even do splint theraoy. She might be on to something in my case.
Oh Alex, I feel like you do. I am so angry that here I was going through life not ever giving tmj a thought. I have a hard time accepting this too Alex.
Take care!
velvetgrl
[This message has been edited by velvetgrl (edited 10-13-2003).]
I just edited the "book" I posted to you. I know what you mean about acceptng the joint noises. Mine started after dental work. It has been a rollercoaster almost 2 years since then. I had no idea what a condoyle, fossa, displaced disc was before then. I'm now 48 years old and I can't believe I'm going through all this. I almost hate to start over and do the tests again. I look at my friends and think to myself, they probably don't have perfect joints and condoyles either ...who does at my age? But, I've learned so much about TMJ, I've been determined to make sure that I got the best treatment possible so that I don't wind up locking and in pain in the future. Over $15,000 later, I'm still where I was when I started out ...now with more symptoms. My husband is leary of changing jobs because of the TMJ coverage. This is ridiculous. My tmj dentist said I should be thank-ful that I have teeth, no bone loss, and condoyles that are not the worst he's ever seen anyway...but, that doesn't help the pain I have or the displaced painful popping and clicking. That's why I want treatment. Now I'm finding that even if I have all the expensive dental work, I'll probably always have trouble with the joints. I do not want surgery. Then there is still the question of what is actually happening on my right side. I think it's time to see someone here for the problem and maybe get an MRI to see how healthy the discs and soft tissue are. Cymy Sue brought up that it's important to know that to see if you can even do splint theraoy. She might be on to something in my case.
Oh Alex, I feel like you do. I am so angry that here I was going through life not ever giving tmj a thought. I have a hard time accepting this too Alex.
Take care!
velvetgrl
[This message has been edited by velvetgrl (edited 10-13-2003).]