Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
I have yet to see my doctor about the lump on my jaw, but have been chasing these jaw pain symptoms for over 2 months. I've seen my dentist 2 times, the doctor and an ENT. I only discovered the lump last Sunday, so it may be new. Anyway, I saw the dentist today, and yet again he did no x-ray, none of them have done any test, just feeling. He says it's just swollen muscle and is related to my jaw soreness. But without doing an x-ray, I don't know how he knows. I guess because the inside of my mouth looks good.
Have any of you with TMJ had a lump on the muscle on your jaw? It's right behind my back teeth on the bottom, where I can feel the edge of my jaw connecting to my gums.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Not to scare you, but that is what I had about 6 months before I started with severe tmj pain and a host of other problems. It wasn't a soft swelling but a hardness or thickening - making the left side of my lower jaw look like it stuck out more than the right. I thought maybe the last lower molar on my left side might have been infected or needed a root canal so I went to an endodontist who said the tooth was OK and the swelling was probably due to a salivary gland infection so I went on anitbiotics for a couple of weeks but the swelling remained. Several months later I started with severe tmj. Now I have realized that the swelling was really due to the muscles on the left side working harder than the right so they were stretched further and actually had built up more than the right side. My jaw also deviates to the left side which also accounts for it appearing as if it protrudes further than the right side.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Mine is like a lump on my muscle of my jaw. I already have pain, now he is saying I "may" have TMJ, and has me doing these face exercises for 2 weeks. first week with just moist heat, and second week alternating moist heat and ice. He says if it hurts worse when I do that, it's probably TMJ. Anyway, I've been doing it for 2 1/2 days, and my face feels swollen on that side (although it doesn't look it) and my ear feels more clogged on that side. My eye feels a little puffy too, and my cheek under it.
But the swelling is more of a hard lump than a thickening. It doesn't scare me that you said that. I'm much more afraid of cancer. I just want to know what is causing my pain. I wish SOMEONE would do an x-ray or CTscan.
BTW, the dentist had me make another apt for 1 month, and said if it still hurts then he'll refer me to an oral surgeon who is very familiar with TMJ problems.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Ok, thats very common. It can get better on its own, but a cure for that is Botox therapuetic. It will relax the muscle and cuase it to atrophy. I had it done and ive noticed a improvement in my apearance in a few months. The only problem is finding a doc who does it. Botox therapuetic is in the final stages of FDA approval and most docs dont do it yet.
google botox TMJ and you'll find some articles and such
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
I realize this is kinda old, but I decided to look this up as well because I've got a hardened bump on the bottom right hand side of my jaw. Noticed it more around the time my wisdoms were pulled(now nearly a year ago) and when I had a case of TMJ to the point where I couldn't even eat properly. Anyways that all came around the same time..the bump is still there, it doesn't bother me at all really, but sometimes I want to express a concern and haven't bothered doing so. The bump seems to connect to the gum area around there, but I can only feel it from the outside. Worrier, I'm curious as to what you may have done to deal with this, is the lump still there? Has it just gotten smaller, did you take anything for it, and how were the jaw exercises done? And did they do any good to it at all?
Sorry for so many questions, but I can't help my curiosity! I'm not sure what to do about it.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thelma-Louise
Not to scare you, but that is what I had about 6 months before I started with severe tmj pain and a host of other problems. It wasn't a soft swelling but a hardness or thickening - making the left side of my lower jaw look like it stuck out more than the right. I thought maybe the last lower molar on my left side might have been infected or needed a root canal so I went to an endodontist who said the tooth was OK and the swelling was probably due to a salivary gland infection so I went on anitbiotics for a couple of weeks but the swelling remained. Several months later I started with severe tmj. Now I have realized that the swelling was really due to the muscles on the left side working harder than the right so they were stretched further and actually had built up more than the right side. My jaw also deviates to the left side which also accounts for it appearing as if it protrudes further than the right side.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
I have the same problem! One of my clients, who is a dentist said I might have a blocked salivary gland also but I have hardending of the jaw muscle also. He also said that my clenching has worn down my teeth, therefore shifting the jaw creating the same problem that you have. I have not been checked professionally yet. What did you end up having to do in order to remedy the problem with the jaw shifting and the muscles being uneven?
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 808living
I have the same problem! One of my clients, who is a dentist said I might have a blocked salivary gland also but I have hardending of the jaw muscle also. He also said that my clenching has worn down my teeth, therefore shifting the jaw creating the same problem that you have. I have not been checked professionally yet. What did you end up having to do in order to remedy the problem with the jaw shifting and the muscles being uneven?
Not to scare you but when I developed tmj after braces were removed, that was one of the first bad symptoms I had. The whole side of my jaw was in spasms and swollen, then came the locking episodes, pain, etc. Please find a dentist who does at least 40%tmj in the practice and have a thorough evaluation. This is absolutely nothing to screw around with. If you have questions, pm me .
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Man - that post is from 2006 almost 3 yrs ago! and sad to say but I still am suffering and haven't had much luck with various dental treatments. I can probably tell you more of what NOT to do than I can tell you what to do.
Do NOT let any dentist perform bite equilibration (filing down) on your teeth - this only made things worse for me and if anything made what might have a more mangeable case of muscular strain due to a poor bite far more complex.
Do NOT be talked into crowning your natural teeth or changing or reshaping your natural teeth to accomodate crowns or bridges - its Ok to change the man-made dental work however if this seems to be the cause of your symptoms - which is likely to begin with.
Do NOT continue with any type of therapy or dental treatments if your symptoms or condition worsens or you develop new symptoms. While some period of adjustment is often necessary no treatment should make things worse before you get better - you should see small positive improvements gradually over time.
Do NOT do surgery unless you have tried all means of conservative treatment first.
What to do - find a dentist who is trained in tmj, neuromuscular dentistry and FJO, shop around and if you come across one that gives you the hard sell or makes you feel guilty, stupid or foolish in questioning him on "his" treatment plan, move on to someone else. He should welcome your questions, make no guarantee of success and be willing or capable of trying various splints and treatments - a one size fits all approach is not what you need. Look for someone who truly wants to help you - if they have a take it or leave it attitude - leave it! There are many drs out there to chose from so you may have to do your homework on this.
Do get an MRI, CT scan or tomogram of your jaws and joints - get and keep copies of the images or films and written diagnosis reports.
Do be open to other forms of alternative non-dental forms of treatments and therapies even if you may have dismissed them in the past such as chiropractics, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc - most tmj dentist often refer their patients for some add'l therapy or treatment to help the body fully recover.
I can tell you what a good tmj dentist should do for you - he should review with you your dental history, evaluate your bite and do some muscle testing , check your joints by listening to them and feeling them when you open and close your mouth, and evaluate your jaw function and mobility and request and review test results (mentioned above) with you. He should then provide you with a diagnosis and treatment plan with an itemized estimation of cost and advise you whether he accepts dental or medical insurance or requires payment up front. The most conservative form of treatment should be a splint to balance your bite and equalize the temporal plane - but much depends on your test results as well. Once you are symptom free - which can take several months if not a year or more, you may then have to decide whether to make the changes the splint accomplished permanent through braces or some other form of dental restoration.
Last edited by Thelma-Louise; 06-05-2009 at 04:01 PM.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Thelma,
Thanks for sharing your post. I have been plagued with bouts of what I am told is TMJ/TMD for over 4 years now. It started a few weeks after I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed. It comes and goes depending on my level of stress.
A few times a year I get it bad and it even can cause gagging.
I unfortunately haven't found a really good doctor that can help me. I've been to a number of so-called 'TMJ Experts' and it's hillarious that none of them could even get their computer diagnostic to work properly. It's like all of these dentists buy the TMJ diagnostic off the Internet and only pull it out when someone complains so they can make the extra buck. I paid a few hundred dollars for a splint that didn't help but I don't think the dentist really knew how to fit it properly.
Sometimes my TMJ gets so bad that I get a lump in the back of my throat near where my jaw joint is. I'm told this is from the musles tensing up.
I try to think positive thoughts, meditate and pray about it which sometimes helps.
Hopefully one day I'll be able to look back and laugh about my problem but for now I just take it one day at a time.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
My problem with pain associated with TMJ was a muscle spasm so the muscle was very hard. It was the masseter, pterygoid medialus, and tensor veli palatini. The last muscle gave me ear aches because it controls the opening and functioning of the inner ear.
A lot of tension and facial pain is generally caused by muscle spasms and it takes a while to figure that out because so many people will just blame it on a headache. Many doctors do not want to do the work to figure it out. Sometimes the research must be done on your own...
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Hi! Yes, with TMJ you can have muscle spasms all over the place. The docs sent me in for MRI's, MRA's and CT scans - I have knots in my neck on the side that my jaw is "off".
If it helps any, I can't post the website, but if you google Round Earth Publishing and click on the second link: Introduction to Head Pain, it shows you the various muscles in your face and neck. Pretty interesting, IMO.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Quote:
Originally Posted by imaworrier
I have yet to see my doctor about the lump on my jaw, but have been chasing these jaw pain symptoms for over 2 months. I've seen my dentist 2 times, the doctor and an ENT. I only discovered the lump last Sunday, so it may be new. Anyway, I saw the dentist today, and yet again he did no x-ray, none of them have done any test, just feeling. He says it's just swollen muscle and is related to my jaw soreness. But without doing an x-ray, I don't know how he knows. I guess because the inside of my mouth looks good.
Have any of you with TMJ had a lump on the muscle on your jaw? It's right behind my back teeth on the bottom, where I can feel the edge of my jaw connecting to my gums.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
I just wanted to throw this out here. It could be a muscle, and tends to sound like one because it never abates, I assume from your description, however there is a salivary gland there as well. I had that occur years ago on my left side too ( I do have neck problems, herniated disc at C5-C6) But was not herniated back then when this occurred, and funny thing is it would only pop out, or was noticeably painful at certain times, when it would all the sudden just swell out, bizarre in the shape of a triangle.
It happened one day while at work and so I thought I'd look at with ultrasound, I ran the probe over it and all of the sudden a gush of saliva came out. I attributed that to a blocked duct of the salivary gland.
Now the ultrasound I used was diagnostic, not the theraputic where there is ahigher frequency as in breaking up kidney stones( lithotripscy) however just running that probe over the area broke it up and I tell you it never happened again! Maybe it was coincidental, but for me I think that triabgular swelling was definitely a salivary gland.
Now just behind both lower mandible ( the very tips of bones at the very base of the mandible there are two protruding bony regions, those are very sore to tough on me, I am not sure what those are as far as anatomy goes, but they do feel hard, they are a bone of some sort! They are not any gland thats for sure.
Last edited by Administrator; 09-01-2010 at 12:01 PM.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
Wow that is interesting about the gland. I have pushed out the lump with my finger so it is a muscle. The Sternocleidomastoid muscle I think but must be in the upper part of it where it attaches or something which is a triangle. When I am able to push it out it doesn't last that long. I also have clicking in my jaw close to that lump and notice when the lump get's bigger the clicking get's louder. If I press onto the lump in just the right spot the clicking goes away so figure these must be associated.
Re: Dentist says lump on jaw is just swollen muscle....Anyone else with similar?
The gland can be pushed out too, especially if as you say its triangular shape, it sounds exactly like the salivary gland!
When mine would swell up I could take that triangular shape between two fingers and move it around. This never did anything to it. Try this...go get a pickle, anything that may make you salvitate a bit and try and see if it swells up, salivary ducts can get blocked by little particles, so it may not happen right now, but try and take more notice after eating and see if the swelling comes and goes. This isnt to say your TMJ is not a problem, ( the clicking and such) but just moving your jaw and having a blocked duct in the same vicinty could make it worse because the obvious spacial confines in the area..
Last edited by Administrator; 09-01-2010 at 12:01 PM.
and sad to say but I still am suffering and haven't had much luck with various dental treatments. I can probably tell you more of what NOT to do than I can tell you what to do. 
