I finally went to the dentist and got a panoramic x-ray of my jaw, the dentist seemed somewhat surprised by the x-ray and had another dentist and several assistants come in to feel my jaw, on the left hand side the condyle head sticks out a lot and can be easily felt. I listened in on the conversation between the dentist and her assistant and they said something about there being a lack of continuity on the one side.. I don't know what that means, maybe that it's dislocated from the joint.. who knows. They asked if I had ever had any trauma to my face.. I've had no injuries that would be of any significance, basically I just started getting severe toothaches about three and a half years ago and now have a lot of facial pain, constant headaches, neck pain, and so forth in addition to the dental pain. All that they recommended was to get this mouth guard that cost $65. I feel like a fool for paying for a treatment that I don't think will do anything. I don't know what to do anymore, I saw one doctor who told me to see a dentist to get a referral for a maxillofacial specialist but then I go to do that and all the dentist is interested in is making money off of me. How do other people get a referral to a specialist? Do you have to beg for one or what?
I also have a hard pea sized lump on the left side that is behind my ear and when I touch it I feel more dizzy and headachey than usual. I feel like I'm overreacting but at the same time I'm a bit worried that I could have something medically wrong with me that I will never know about.
A night guard can help with some TMJ cases. Lots of times TMJ issues can be a result of clinching, which causes muscle spasms which can lead to headaches-including migraines, neck pain, facial pain, etc. A properly constructed night guard, can help break this muscle spasms cycling. The night guard is not an instant cure, but being diligent about wearing it should make a difference.
In the States, one typically needs a referral from your dentist to see some dental specialist. Not sure how that works in Canada.
Well, I'll try the mouthpiece, seeing as I already paid for it. I don't clench but I chew gum a lot. Besides that, I think I have a genetic predisposition to having bad joints, fingers are becoming big and feel squishy.. there's no reason why, but if it disfigures my face any more than it has...ooh boy, don't even get me started.
