Jaw misalignment

[[JJ...]]

hi Marthakicks,

I have not shared my theory with the dentist, i don't like people looking at me like i'm an alien with 5 heads, so i save these insights for the forum.  honestly, i don't even try to convey to unaffected people what this is like, b/c i can barely believe it myself, and i'm living it.

the thing with brain injuries, is they heal, the brain is amazingly resilient...it just takes time. i didn't mean to imply that this is something permanent, it just feels like my nervous system is so incredibly damaged some days.

holly, yeah...that would be great if we could sue somebody.

my dentist apt was ok, i guess. the hygienist is very competent and she saw what i was talking about...she made a final adjustment, there is no more of the guard that can be grinded away. so i'll wear it tonight and see what happens. i just don't give a damn anymore, i can't care anymore, you know? it's too exhausting. so my gums will recede, who the f cares.  

 

oh,ok..sorry, i just reread your post, you were asking: what did the dentist say about the night guard negatively affecting my gums?  very non committal, gave me a non answer. kind of brushed off my concern like it didn't matter, didn't really take it seriously. ya know, typical medical professional.

[Guest [Ma...]]

hi Marthakicks,

I have not shared my theory with the dentist, i don't like people looking at me like i'm an alien with 5 heads, so i save these insights for the forum.  honestly, i don't even try to convey to unaffected people what this is like, b/c i can barely believe it myself, and i'm living it.

the thing with brain injuries, is they heal, the brain is amazingly resilient...it just takes time. i didn't mean to imply that this is something permanent, it just feels like my nervous system is so incredibly damaged some days.

holly, yeah...that would be great if we could sue somebody.

my dentist apt was ok, i guess. the hygienist is very competent and she saw what i was talking about...she made a final adjustment, there is no more of the guard that can be grinded away. so i'll wear it tonight and see what happens. i just don't give a damn anymore, i can't care anymore, you know? it's too exhausting. so my gums will recede, who the f cares.  

 

oh,ok..sorry, i just reread your post, you were asking: what did the dentist say about the night guard negatively affecting my gums?  very non committal, gave me a non answer. kind of brushed off my concern like it didn't matter, didn't really take it seriously. ya know, typical medical professional.

 

I have been so positive until recently.  I wonder if it is permanent, I really do.  I hope your night-guard fits well and your gums aren't affected tonight.

My night-guard (upper and lower pieces) only cover a few teeth in the front and don't cover the gums.  I couldn't find a pic online to show you but I'll keep looking. 

 

 

 

[[JJ...]]

hi marthakicks, thank you.  i appreciate that...i find that sometimes i am positive and other times, i have no hope and i'm full of despair. it comes and gos.  it's awful to start thinking that normalcy is never going to return.  that is interesting that your nightguard only covers the front teeth, i had one like that, called an NTI appliance but i did not like it, i couldn't wear it.  anyway, i hope when you do go to your dentist that he or she is helpful.  take care,

JJ

[Guest [Ma...]]

JJKale--mine's by NTI, too!  Ok, so at least you've tried that style.  How was the night-guard last night?

 

 

[[JJ...]]

hi Marthakicks,

I tried it last night for the first time since the adjustment was made to it and it seems to be a lot better. she grinded a lot of it away, so in most places it is not touching my gums.  my teeth are hurting so much today, i hate this. glad the NTI guards work for you...

J

[Guest [Ma...]]

Glad it worked well, hopefully your teeth will quit hurting soon.  ((((((jjkale)))))))

 

[[Fl...]]

I have had jaw issues as well. It always corresponds with heightened anxiety, and when my jaw tightens up it causes tooth pain and triggers headaches.

[Guest [Si...]]

I have had jaw issues as well. It always corresponds with heightened anxiety, and when my jaw tightens up it causes tooth pain and triggers headaches.

 

Exactly, this is the way it kicks off for me too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

MarthaKicks,

 

RATM.

 

 

[Guest [Ma...]]

I have had jaw issues as well. It always corresponds with heightened anxiety, and when my jaw tightens up it causes tooth pain and triggers headaches.

 

Exactly, this is the way it kicks off for me too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

MarthaKicks,

 

RATM.

 

 

 

I'm raging, Sigma, I'm raging.  I went through a week of feeling really down (probably due to the jaw) and I've been more hopeful the last 2 days.  I've decided to give it a few more weeks before I see the dentist as I'm not doing any damage (that I can see) to the jaw/teeth.

 

I hope everyone peace and healing.

 

M

 

 

[Guest [Si...]]

I'm raging, Sigma, I'm raging.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/opheliablue/ratm.jpg

 

Kind of looks like the state of WI. doesn't it?

 

Keep kickin' ragin' or whatever you do against the machine.

 

 

[Guest [Ma...]]

Hello everyone,

 

I saw the dentist today and was referred out to a specialist.  Temporal Mandibular Disorder--aka--crazy jaw!

 

I'll post about the imminent appointment. 

 

Be well,

M

[[JJ...]]

oh, boy...please post about the apt, Martha...i may have to see one of those specialists at some point when I am making money again.  My jaw is just not right at all and it almost feels like it locks up more, after i've kept the guard in for the whole night.  And I've had that thing fitted/adjusted/tested to make sure my teeth are all hitting evenly.  And they are, I think the problem is that my alignment WITHOUT the guard is so messed up/ever changing.  And I still wonder about having the molds taken when everything was SO screwy...how am I ever gonna explain this to an MD and have them understand?  SO frustrating and it's been a huge source of anxiety for me... i hope the apt goes well...

[[Ho...]]

Are most of you with this pain no longer tapering?

I would never, ever go back to my dr to get my jaw messed around with again... been there, done that, it's way too painful. If they're giving you a splint to wear at night... I pray that it works for you and is not painful. Mine was absolutely unbearable, and I tried to wear it exactly as I was told to. After a few weeks the pain was just way too much and I'm sure it only did more damage to my jaw by forcing it into such a painful, weird position. My jaw pain used to come every single day, but now that I am over 1 month off, I only get it bad once a week or so. And I stopped using that splint at least a year ago. So I hope that all of your pain subsides the farther off you get from the benzo, too.

[Guest [Ma...]]

I went to the TMD specialist yesterday.  My open bite is not due to a jaw misalignment but rather from wearing the NTI bite guard.  I have been referred to an orthodontist for probable guided braces. 

 

It is not benzo/withdrawal related.

[Guest [Ma...]]

I went to the TMD specialist yesterday.  My open bite is not due to a jaw misalignment but rather from wearing the NTI bite guard.   I have been referred to an orthodontist for probable guided braces. 

 

It is not benzo/withdrawal related.

 

...or is it?  I saw another dentist today who gave me another opinion. 

 

I see the orthodontist on the 19th of August and we'll see what he has to say.

 

The saga continues...

[[Gr...]]

Hi dear M,

 

I am sending good wishes your way that this may be fully addressed and you will have relief soon.

 

Love and blessings,

 

Grace~

[[JJ...]]

hi Martha,,

what did the second dentist tell you??  I had one dentist last fall tell me the NTI was a piece of s#$t basically but then...why would so many dentists make them for their patients?  I have come to HATE dentistry, it is SO subjective...you could go to five or fifty more dentists and get 50 different opinions.  It is maddening...I hope you figure out what is going on and get it resolved. What do you mean by 'open bite'?

[[...]]

Martha - I am also dealing with some TMJ-type symptoms, and often have the misaligned jaw and bite.  I've actually popped my TM joint so loudly at night that it wakes me up.  Tons of tense ear and jaw muscles and many headaches too.  I've had an ENT tell me I have TMJ and then went to see a TMJ dentist/specialist (twice) that said I do not have TMJ, just some extremely tight muscles and he suggested muscle relaxants (no way), so I'm resigned to the fact that it is part of withdrawal (I've read numerous testimonials on this site and others that mention ear and jaw muscle tension and pain).  I feel for you - this really stinks!

[[...]]

After detox, I had jaw pain and even my teeth hurt.  It felt like they were somehow shifting.  My upper right back molar did visible rotate.  The rest of my bite seems off but it's not noticeable to anyone yet it annoys me.  It just feels weird.

 

The jaw/teeth pain went away completely but the misalignment still remains to this day even after recovery.

[[JJ...]]

After detox, I had jaw pain and even my teeth hurt.  It felt like they were somehow shifting.  My upper right back molar did visible rotate.  The rest of my bite seems off but it's not noticeable to anyone yet it annoys me.  It just feels weird.

 

The jaw/teeth pain went away completely but the misalignment still remains to this day even after recovery.

 

L123,

I can't help but wonder if you've still got lingering symptoms with your jaw and teeth that might resolve with more time...I am 9 1/2 months off and I continue to have severe pain in my teeth and jaw, shifting/loose teeth, and a shifting bite/misalignment of my jaw...I just know that at 16 months off, I am not going to rule out the eventual resolution of symptoms, even past the 18 month mark.  I have a feeling that, based on how I am feeling now, that all of my symptoms are not going to be gone by 18 months off.  But I am not going to stop hoping that they'll all eventually go away (Well, maybe except for the tinnitus, I expect that'll always be with me, as I've had it now for 14 years)...

[[...]]

Well, the problem is that once the teeth have shifted, even after healing, I don't see them shifting back unless I was proactive about it.  The shifted molar doesn't bother me at all, it's just the slightly misaligned bite that is irritating.  I doubt I'll ever do anything about it though.  For some reason I seem to have this distrust of the medical community...hmmm. 

[[ra...]]

I am a "clincher"-and have been diagnosed with TMJ-they made a plastic retainer thing that I sleep with-I was told braces wouldn't help me. But as far as waking up with awful headaches from clinching-the plastic retainer has helped so much.

[[sh...]]

Just when I thought my withdrawal was moving to a close, my ears clogged---about 3 1/2 weeks ago.  After trips to 2 ents, it is clear the issue is related to the muscles in my jaw.  I definately think that even after many months this symptom might disappear. I was on a low dose of valium for a relatively short period of time (after some time on ativan) and have had a number of symptoms which are slowly resolving (though not as fast as every doctor said they would).  It took almost 3 months for the ear/jaw symptoms to show up and they are subbornly sticking around.  I did drink half a beer for 3 nights on vacation and the symptoms completely cleared so I know it is withdrawal related.  Back to my real no-beer life and the ear is clogged again and the head feels like it is in a vice.  It is easier to deal with now that I choose to believe it is just a matter of time until it goes away.

 

[Guest [Ma...]]

Hey Guys,

 

Still waiting for treatment.  TMD Specialists sent me to the Orthodontist who referred me back to the TMD Specialist who thinks I need to see the Orthodontist.  So I am waiting to see if I can get in to see the Orthodontist.  But guess what?  I've been thrusting my tongue and I think that is what caused the open bite so THAT is good because I can get therapy to retrain myself.  It's CRAZY because I am in my early 40's and developed a tongue thrust and now need braces again. 

 

Crazy, crazy, crazy.

 

Just wanted to update the group.

 

 

[[Gr...]]

Hey dear Martha,

 

Will Invisalign(sp?) do the trick? I hope. Glad that you are getting it addressed even though they've got you going in circles.

 

Thanks for all of your support and for being here, dear.

 

Love and blessings,

 

Gracie~