Introduction to My Nightmare - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

Chicky717 · 12-18-2007, 03:56 PM

Hi everyone!

I am new to this site and am thankful that there is a community out there for people with TMJ!

I'll just give a quick rundown of my story. As a child, I had what my dentist considered a 'small mouth', so at about 8 years old, he extracted two upper teeth and then closed the gaps with an appliance. Well, as it turns out, this was the WRONG decision and caused my jaw to not develop fully. I have had varying degrees of pain and many of the classic symptoms of TMJ off and on for the last 5 years. I have now found a TMJ specialist in my area who has decided that the best route to go is to make my mouth bigger with an upper palatal expander, while at the same time reposition my jaw with a splint. (After all this is done, I will move onto braces and then will be given tooth implants to replace the teeth that were removed.)

Well, this is all fine and dandy, but I got my palatal expander/splint last week and it is a nightmare and a half!!

It is this thick acrylic thing that covers the whole roof of my mouth and has the splint part (the part that sits between my upper and lower teeth) attached to it. It is sooo uncomfortable. Like I said above, I wore an appliance when I was 8, so it's not like I haven't experienced wearing an appliance before, but this thing is just so thick ... I went back into the dentist a couple days ago and had them shave it down, but it is still bad. I have to go to work like this and talk to people and it is humiliating because there is so much saliva in my mouth and I lisp so bad that I feel like I'm going to drool all over everybody

. All I want to do is just rip this thing out all the time (it is removable, so sometimes I do). I'm supposed to wear it 24/7 for the next 6-8 months, including while eating, but I can't even choke down water or soup let alone anything else! Has anyone else ever had one of these things before???

Thanks!

sunflower22 · 12-18-2007, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicky717

Hi everyone!

I am new to this site and am thankful that there is a community out there for people with TMJ!

I'll just give a quick rundown of my story. As a child, I had what my dentist considered a 'small mouth', so at about 8 years old, he extracted two upper teeth and then closed the gaps with an appliance. Well, as it turns out, this was the WRONG decision and caused my jaw to not develop fully. I have had varying degrees of pain and many of the classic symptoms of TMJ off and on for the last 5 years. I have now found a TMJ specialist in my area who has decided that the best route to go is to make my mouth bigger with an upper palatal expander, while at the same time reposition my jaw with a splint. (After all this is done, I will move onto braces and then will be given tooth implants to replace the teeth that were removed.)

Well, this is all fine and dandy, but I got my palatal expander/splint last week and it is a nightmare and a half!!

It is this thick acrylic thing that covers the whole roof of my mouth and has the splint part (the part that sits between my upper and lower teeth) attached to it. It is sooo uncomfortable. Like I said above, I wore an appliance when I was 8, so it's not like I haven't experienced wearing an appliance before, but this thing is just so thick ... I went back into the dentist a couple days ago and had them shave it down, but it is still bad. I have to go to work like this and talk to people and it is humiliating because there is so much saliva in my mouth and I lisp so bad that I feel like I'm going to drool all over everybody

. All I want to do is just rip this thing out all the time (it is removable, so sometimes I do). I'm supposed to wear it 24/7 for the next 6-8 months, including while eating, but I can't even choke down water or soup let alone anything else! Has anyone else ever had one of these things before???

Thanks!

Yes I have a TMJ upper TMJ splint that I have to wear all the time. I am alound to take my out when I eat. Mine's not to thiick I can talk find, drink. At frist when you have the splint in your month you do get alot of sliva cause you learn to shallow more

buzzy01 · 12-18-2007, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicky717

Hi everyone!

I am new to this site and am thankful that there is a community out there for people with TMJ!

I'll just give a quick rundown of my story. As a child, I had what my dentist considered a 'small mouth', so at about 8 years old, he extracted two upper teeth and then closed the gaps with an appliance. Well, as it turns out, this was the WRONG decision and caused my jaw to not develop fully. I have had varying degrees of pain and many of the classic symptoms of TMJ off and on for the last 5 years. I have now found a TMJ specialist in my area who has decided that the best route to go is to make my mouth bigger with an upper palatal expander, while at the same time reposition my jaw with a splint. (After all this is done, I will move onto braces and then will be given tooth implants to replace the teeth that were removed.)

Well, this is all fine and dandy, but I got my palatal expander/splint last week and it is a nightmare and a half!!

It is this thick acrylic thing that covers the whole roof of my mouth and has the splint part (the part that sits between my upper and lower teeth) attached to it. It is sooo uncomfortable. Like I said above, I wore an appliance when I was 8, so it's not like I haven't experienced wearing an appliance before, but this thing is just so thick ... I went back into the dentist a couple days ago and had them shave it down, but it is still bad. I have to go to work like this and talk to people and it is humiliating because there is so much saliva in my mouth and I lisp so bad that I feel like I'm going to drool all over everybody

. All I want to do is just rip this thing out all the time (it is removable, so sometimes I do). I'm supposed to wear it 24/7 for the next 6-8 months, including while eating, but I can't even choke down water or soup let alone anything else! Has anyone else ever had one of these things before???

Thanks!

It sounds like I have a similar splint except that I am wearing it 24/7 for 4 months but I can take it out while I eat. Don't worry, it does get better. You will talk better and get used to it, just give it some time. Double check with your doctor about eating with it....I only had to eat with it for 2 weeks. Good luck!