Pain Clinic visit - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

quinnma · 06-10-2003, 07:48 PM

Hi everyone,

I finally got to the NJ Pain Clinic for an initial exam. My team leader is an MD certified in anesthesiology and is also a dentist. The clinic is affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and University of Medicine and Dentistry. It was recently rated as among the top 35 pain clinics in the US. The dentist/doctor and his assistant took a long history (and boy is it long by now) and examined me, in particular my neck and jaw. He agreed with the TMJ dentist that my jaw is not working right, and that I have to keep all incisors together for it to function properly. He also noticed a deviated palate (?). My uvula doesn't hang, it's almost horizontal. My neck is also a big problem, and I am having an MRI of the cervical spine tomorrow. He recommended pursuing the TMJ work and has faxed off a Letter of Medical Necessity to my insurer so I hopefully get payment for it from my medical insurance. I go back next week to the pain clinic. As soon as I hear from the insurer, I will start the TMJ work. If necessary, he will recommend a good neurologist. I am in pain, my gums are swollen and sore, and I'm tired of the ringing in my left ear, but at least the journey has begun. (Anyone else have swollen gums or cheeks?)

TMJ is an education..., as well as a curse.

sunshine123 · 06-10-2003, 08:28 PM

Hi: My gums are sore and feel swollen too, although they look normal. My teeth on the left side are also very sensitive. It's frustrating b/c I've been from one DDS to the other, tried every toothpaste otc and RX for sensitive teeth and none of them have helped. In fact, they usually make my gums feel more irritated. I rinse my mouth with saltwater to alleviate the soreness, and sometimes with diluted hydrogen peroxide. My splint has alleviated all my other symptoms, so I'm hoping that eventually this mystery will be solved as well. I forgot to mention that I do have a little gum recession, so that could explain the sensitivity and irritation to my gums. It sounds like you're on the right track with the pain clinic. Good luck with your treatment and let me know how you're doing with your gums and other symptoms. Sue

Arleen · 06-10-2003, 08:40 PM

Hi Quinnma:

My gums are also swollen and sore. I had 2 fillings replaced which threw my bite completely off. It caused my front teeth to hit each other and the other teeth to connect in the wrong spots. Then my teeth started hurting because they kept hitting each other with force. Then I started grinding at night. Somewhere along the way, my gums started hurting. Possibly because of all the trauma my teeth are taking and the extra pressure of them hitting incorrectly. I've had 3 nightguards (by 3 different dentists). They all made things worse but at least stopped me from grinding. Once or twice I'd sleep without the nightguard and my gums would look so much better in the morning. I couldn't continue doing that though because I'd be grinding my teeth at night.

I hope the pain clinic and neurologist can help you.

Take care,
Arleen

RobynRose · 06-11-2003, 06:46 AM

Swollen gums or cheek? Yes - I have an area in my rear left cheek that is acutally swollen and had abrasion from my wisdom teeth "bumping" into it whenever I move my mouth. This is only since the tmj symptoms kicked in. I think what is hapenning, is that my jaw actaully moves out of alignment - and then shifts to the right. As a result... the teeth are irritating the cheek this way. I can feel the malalignment when it occurs - as well as a slew of neck/face/spine symtoms that go with this.
Does that make any sense -- or can you relate in any way? This last specialist I saw suggested removing th teeth just to eliminate this chronic irritant. Before the tmj though, these teeth didn't bother me in the least - so I know the primary problem is the dysfunctional (loose) jaw. Any thoughts??? Good Luck with the Pain Clinic...keep us posted!! Robyn

quinnma · 06-11-2003, 06:21 PM

RobynRose,

Yes, I have also had the back molars bite down on my swollen cheek and create a sore spot. I haven't had my jaw analyzed in detail yet, but I believe I have a very loose jaw (anyone who hit their jaw as hard as I did a year and a half ago would have a loose jaw). My neck MRI and my next appt with the pain clinic has had to be postponed another few days because of insurance problems (pre-certification, review for TMJ coverage). I am wondering if I have really severe jaw damage - will ask the pain clinic and the dentist about that. Someone told me the neck MRI would also show the jaw...? I read today in my TMJ newsletter that nightguards and splints can actually cause gum damage... Hmmmmm. See my next post.