Stress and TMJD - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

PINKYPRISCILLA · 05-22-2003, 12:26 PM

What starts first? Does stress cause TMJ or does TMJ make you more stressed out?

I have spoken to a few friends who say that their problems started during a stressful time in their lives?
Clenching and grinding is stress related but I also heard
that grinding comes from tmj(because of the misaligned bite/jaw)????????

DianeTMJ · 05-22-2003, 02:01 PM

I was told by 2 dentists that the clenching was caused by my bad bite, trying to find it "home position". That stress had nothing to do about it, in the beginning. NOw of course is a different story, the stress of not knowing what was wrong with me for two years, the stress of pain, pain, pain of course now has a terrible effect on my TMJ. I just wish I could walk away from my pain. My bad bite came from dentist pulling a back tooth, that is what caused me to go into full TMJ symptoms.
Later
Diane

[This message has been edited by DianeTMJ (edited 08-04-2003).]

shell389 · 05-22-2003, 02:30 PM

Priscilla, My problems started out after having a poor fitting crown put in. I started clenching and grinding on it trying to get my bite to be normal. I did have the crown replaced. But the damage had already started and the new crown never felt right either. Stress has played a factor since then though. And the thing I had the most stress over was the whole tooth/crown/ TMJD issue. It has been 2 years now and I have finally found a good dentist that specializes in this area. And he doesn't ask me if I am stressed out about something like my old dentist did all the time.

I do know that I find that when I have a headache or pain if I get stressed about it I end up feeling worse. I am trying really hard to learn to relax no matter how I am feeling. It is so hard to do sometimes. But it really makes a difference.

Hope this helps you in some way. Take care, Shell

PINKYPRISCILLA · 05-22-2003, 02:38 PM

Thanks for the replies, but it is so annoying
that people who don't have it think that we
are just fabricating the pain because they blame it
on stress, they really don't know that it is more
complicated and that it can be caused by a bad bite (occlusal problems)

Then Ive had people telling me that they have a retainer
like mine!!!! uh hello !!! its not a retainer!!!It's a splint!!!!
Im tired of explaining!!!!!!!