Really no relief with wearing nightguard - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

Zeethan · 10-02-2004, 06:02 PM

I started wearing the mouthguard in July, and thought at first I was doing better, but now I just seem to be the same. Not as much cutting pain across my cheekbones, but the area where my jaw hinges are hurt like crazy, and I get this inner ear pain which makes me feel like I have an earache when they are actually fine. MD says about mouthguards, "Phooey", take Valium, dentist says mouthguard and doesn't like to prescribe any pain pills, etc. Also concerned now because I am having horrible sensitivity on my upper right cuspid, all I need is to have a root canal! My teeth are in excellent shape, a few fills, but no rc's or crowns in the past.

What is the connection, I have the same facial/sinus pain I've had for months now, goes up into my nose, have very stiff and sore neck and back, and ears still feel like they need to be popped. ENT says nothing they can do surgically about my ears, eustachian tube looks good and moves, told me to take Gingko, trying to figure out that one still. I'm miserable, I'll never work again it seems.

Zeethan · 10-02-2004, 08:21 PM

Amy, are you taking a branded Valium? I ended up with a generic version, and I swear they are not as effective as what I had been taking previously. I called and left a message with my M.D., saying that they also gave diarrhea, but I never got a response. I need to go next week and try and get a refill. I guess I'll ask about the joint/jaw hinge/ear pain and see what he has to say. I'm a clencher, I'm tense all the time, I catch myself tensing up and then try to relax, but its hard. And I don't even know what I have to be tense about, just daily life.

angtaylor · 10-03-2004, 02:59 PM

I think the doctors and dentists often want to treat symptomatically - meaning get the symptoms (ground down teeth, jaw pain by nightguards/painkillers) instead of the cause (stress/malaligned bite/arthritis/etc). So, while the nightguard may not (in fact, usually won't) help the grinding or TMJ, it WILL protect your teeth from being ground down further. It's no cure, just a protective for the teeth. It may help, however, for those with misaligned jaws; I don't know much about that. When I don't wear mine, I find the surfaces of my teeth are smoother and they feel looser, and gums begin to recede. Grinding is TERRIBLE for your teeth and jaw, but you should at least protect one, and look for help for the jaw, or neck/back/ear pain as needed. I've already given up on having a full set of teeth when I'm older.

jack lamb · 10-04-2004, 10:44 AM

I had the same problems as you describe. Dentist was "NIGHTGUARD!!!!" GP doc was "PAIN PILLS". Finally went to an Oral Surgeon at OHSU ( I like these docs, they don't get paid any more money for operating or not operating, you have to put up with some learner-bee docs but the professors are GREAT! They give you the straight skinny and wont operate unless its the only or the best choice. Are you near a medical teaching university? I had great luck at San Fran State as well. Surgery is the only thing that relieved the pain. I do ok now.

Jack

Zeethan · 10-04-2004, 10:49 AM

I don't think I'm bad enough off to consider surgery, geez, I have a deviated septum and have had sinus/facial pain nearly the whole year now, and the military hospital says I'm not bad off enough for them to do anything to help me.