BEWARE OF SPLINTS!!!!! - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

PINKYPRISCILLA · 03-27-2003, 10:38 AM

The dentist I went to yesterday said that my general dentist could have made my joint worse by giving me a useless splint. Just a word of caution!!!!

justanotherday · 03-27-2003, 11:06 AM

no this is not true a splint is harmless and considered 1 of the most conservative methods in treating tmj. please stop putting fear in people who need tmj treatment and can benefit from splints. surveys show 80% of tmj patients find relief from splints. What would your dentist advise you do just take muscle relaxants that solves nothing!! and you don't see a dentist for tmj problems you see a tmj specialist.

BTW if this were true i guess retainers must make your joint worse to since they are essentially the same thing as splints. I guess boxers who wear mouthguards must be making their joints worse. sheesh

[This message has been edited by justanotherday (edited 03-27-2003).]

Al4 · 03-27-2003, 11:32 AM

There are many different types of splints and they are not all good. Any particular splint can help some people and harm others. My splint made my joints much worse. I am hoping I can find another type that will help.

Elaine · 03-27-2003, 11:43 AM

Splints can make you worse depending on what your situation is. Splint therapy does not work for everyone. "ME" being a clencher, splints made me clench even more and put me in such pain, I threw up for hours at a time. I am still looking, but so far the best luck I have had with a splint was when I threw it in the garbage can. Some people do great with them, unfortunately I wasn't one of them. I am not sure I will gamble on another maybe, for something that has cost me way too much money already. I have went to so many TMJ specialists across the country so it is not from a lack of opinions, "but rather" all the different opinions didn't work. I have a lot less pain without a splint....not saying I am pain free by no means but at least I am not throwing up from a headache!!!
Still thinking Sue..

Elaine

justanotherday · 03-27-2003, 12:05 PM

i refuse to believe that something you put in your mouth can make your joints worse. How is this possible? its not invading your joint in anyway. Once its inserted in your mouth it acts as a crutch which prevents you from clenching or grinding your teeth. Another thing it does is stabilize your bite.it takes pressure off the joint so that the healing processes can take place. When you break a leg what do you do about it? you use a crutch so that you don't have to use the injured leg. A splint works the same way.I agree its not a long term solution to the problem but its the best treatment available for tmj compared to the other options out there. What else is there? muscle relaxants that stuff can kill you if not taken in the proper dosages. OCDs won't help you much. Splints can actually recapture your disks if they are displaced. What other way can do that besides the dreaded word surgery? and we don't even want to begin to go there...so to the people who are saying this please explain to me in detail how a splint could make your joints worse i still don't understand.