New Splint and jaw biting - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

maryrnbsn · 04-13-2004, 04:04 AM

My TMJ Specialist prescribed a lower jaw splint approximately one month ago. I have been wearing the splint only at night because I found talking with the splint difficult. My tongue was rubbing against the splint causing canker sores - the more I talked during the day - the more canker sores I got. Not a good thing so decided to wear the splint only at night. Before I got the splint I would occasionally find that my back teeth would bite down on the inside of my cheeks. Usually if I just positioned my mouth a little differently I could avoid this problem. Now that I have been wearing the splint I am unavoidingly biting the inside of my checks near the back molars. It is like there is no room for my mouth to open and close properly. I know this may not make much sense but it is extremely annoying and painful. If I bite down in a straight normal position the inside of my checks NOW automatically get caught between my back molars on both sides of my mouth. This is without the splint in my mouth. Having the splint in just makes it even worse. Needless to say I now have canker sores in those areas. Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so what was the solution? I go back to my TMJ dentist this week and will ask him about the problem.

spacenut99 · 04-17-2004, 07:13 PM

I had a bad experience with my lower splint. I was told to wear it only at night by my regular dentist when I first got it last June. Just this past January my TMJ specialist decided that since I wasn't improving, I should wear it 24-7 and he made a few adjustments to it.

Wearing it all the time completely changed my bite to the point that only my front teeth were touching, and the gums were beginning to recede. Not to mention that I couldn't talk with it and it did nothing for my symptoms.
I have since talked to my regular dentist and she has said that i should decide myself, based on my symptoms, when and how often I should wear the splint.

So now, I tend to wear it most nights, and my bite has returned to normal. I think that no matter how many adjustments the TMJ doc made, the splint would never be a permanent solution for me.

I guess it depends why your dentist has made the splint for you. In my case, I was told that basically my TMJ problem is pretty much hopeless and all they can do for me is make me comfortable. Since the splint does nothing and I feel much better without it, I've decided not to wear it 24-7.
But if you have to wear it to reposition your jaw and get you ready for crowns or braces, then I think your doc will have to make as many adjustments as possible so that you can wear it comfortably.

Good luck!
Lisa

spacenut99 · 04-19-2004, 11:08 AM

Well my dentist didn't use the word "hopeless," but she says my case is severe. Both discs are displaced, my opening is less than 15mm, and the symptoms have been getting worse, not better.
I didn't have an accident or anything, so they don't know what caused it, and since surgery is not an option, there's not much they can do but make me as comfortable as possible with pain meds.
So all that translates to me as meaning my case is hopless!!
Lisa