I just read some old posts about TMJ and what people were doing for it and/or who they were seeing for it. I'd like to get some recent posts if there's anyone out there enduring TMJ.

Specifically, does anyone have earache with it and what do you do for relief? 

Do you have an occlusal guard? They are common. 

I don't know what your life is like, but anxiety and stress are major contributors to TMJ. Grinding the teeth at night during sleep goes along with all that.

People in alcoholic family situations are very susceptible to TMJ, because of those stresses. Got someone in the family that pays more attention to the booze, or other assorted drugs, than they do to family circumstances? Seek help. 

I have had TMJ since I was a kid, stress has never impacted my TMJ. Most days I don't even know I have it except for the fact my jaw pops. I avoid eating really chewy/tough food and rarely chew gum as it tends to cause additional aching in my jaw and sometimes ear. Also avoid having to take large bites especially with a thick hamburger as sometimes it will cause the jaw to lock up momentarily. 

Have had TMJ for years. Tried the $1,000 splint from dentist - worthless. Have just learned to sleep on my back and reduce stress in my life! 

Have had TMJ for years.

Me too ... tried the night guard and it helped some with the grinding of my teeth during sleep. It was attributed to stress, as well as yawning. I have since learned to not yawn with mouth wide open - almost closed teeth to yawn.

Yes, had ear aches along with the jaw pain. Thankfully, I had insurance to help pay the dentist for the night guard but also learned to just get an athletic mouth guard (Walmart, Acadmeny) - works just as well. 

I wear an occlusal splint and have for years. It was the only thing that helped. Stress and anxiety do aggravate it, but it can also be caused by misalignment of the teeth. If teeth are out of alignment, even slightly, your body will compensate by trying to grind it back into place, which then irritates the muscles and they become inflamed. The occlusal splint can help correct that and give the muscles a chance to relax. My dentist adjusts mine about every 6 months, if necessary.

The night guard will protect your teeth, but it doesn't correct if there is an underlying problem. 

TMJ is caused from bottling up the urge to smack stupid people. 

If the OP doesn't mind me asking another question...

We went to a TMJ specialist and was quoted. Rate of $4k for the guard and treatment. Very expensive. Is there any difference in quality of the mouth guard between what our regular dentist can provide and what the specialist can provide?

TIA 

I'm sure this is in the old post. My girlfriend went to a specialist who did the splint, it broke within a couple of weeks. It was going to take forever for them to fix it, so she sent it to her dentist brother in law who had one made for practically nothing. Of course, they were using the old one for a mold. 

Puss In Boots $4k is seriously high! A general dentist can have it made as well. They take an impression and send it to the lab. I don't know what extra a specialist would do that your dentist can't do. I think mine was around $400. I haven't had to have this one adjusted so there was no extra expense. My 1st one was done thru the dentist I worked for at the time, but I think he charged around the same price. There was an occasional office visit charge for an adjustment, but he didn't charge for the 1st month.
No way would I pay $4k! 

Ahh. Thanks for your input. The doctor is very highly recommended up in the Woodlands. Dr Prehn. The 4K is supposed to cover the appliance, re-fittings and office visits for one year of treatment. Plus therapy for a severe case of TMJ.

Still too high? 

How many office visits does he anticipate you will need? What kind of therapy? I did some physical therapy for mine, but it wasn't in office.

I don't know how severe your TMJ is, so it's hard to say if the treatment policy is warranted. Most of the patients we dealt with were moderate and required 6-10 office visits over the course of 2-3 months. On occasion there would be additional adjustments. 

I don't know how severe your TMJ is, so it's hard to say if the treatment policy is warranted. Most of the patients we dealt with were moderate and required 6-10 office visits over the course of 2-3 months.

That's about how long my treatment was.

On occasion there would be additional adjustments.
Yeah ... as soon as they are just about through with the treatment, I had to have a couple of caps/fillings done and guess what? - it called for a new appliance since there was an adjustment to my bite due to the new crowns/fillings. 

Yeah ... as soon as they are just about through with the treatment, I had to have a couple of caps/fillings done and guess what? - it called for a new appliance since there was an adjustment to my bite due to the new crowns/fillings.

Some will make a new appliance, but I know we would readjust the splint after we seated the crown or took care of the fillings. The dentist would drill out the are to fit and reline the biting surface if necessary. Most times it was a very simple fix with no need for a new splint. 

People in alcoholic family situations are very susceptible to TMJ, because of those stresses. Got someone in the family that pays more attention to the booze, or other assorted drugs, than they do to family circumstances? Seek help.

Well, I'm not an alcoholic and no one in my family is, so I guess we are safe there. Don't really know where you were going with this Butterbean.

If the OP doesn't mind me asking another question...We went to a TMJ specialist and was quoted. Rate of $4k for the guard and treatment. Very expensive. Is there any difference in quality of the mouth guard between what our regular dentist can provide and what the specialist can provide?

I was just diagnosed, so I don't know much. I went to an ENT thinking it was sinus issues, and she diagnosed me with TMJ--makes sense for my symptoms and how long it's been going on. I've had one session of PT so far and am going to the dentist next week to see about the mouth guard. Taking Advil for pain. Using moist heat. Doing several neck exercises recommended by PT. Not too much relief yet. 

Don't really know where you were going with this Butterbean.


I wasn't going anywhere. I just have a familiarity with the stresses of family members in addictive family systems and threw it out as a possibility.

The seek help part is valid for any circumstance. Good luck with your search. 

Not too much relief yet.

It can take a while. Remember, it didn't get that way overnight. Good luck with your treatment! 

I don't have TMJ but I clench my teeth something fierce, especially when I'm stressed or am dehydrated. I grew up with ear pain and was always given medication for ear infections. It wasn't until I was a late teenager (18 or 19 I think?) that I was told I wasn't getting infections but I was clenching. I paid just a few hundred dollars for a dentist to make my night guard. He also recommended that I take 4 Advil on days that I was clenching badly in order to relax my jaw muscles. Obviously my jaw/ears hurt sometimes when I forget to wear my night guard but for the most part it has been a Godsend. 

If you can find a therapist that is trained in myofascial release, it will do wonders for severe TMJ. Myofascial Release 

Thanks. I am not the one with the TMJ problem. But sometimes with only 22mm of "opening" on bad days...kind of tough to open the mouth to eat a sandwich. Just wondering if the extra money to pay a specialist is worth it or burning money.

AFWife, no offense but that website looks kind of hokie to me. The dude is not even a doctor and I don't trust websites that are purposefully mystical and vague. The pictures of clouds and shining sun just don't do it for me. And the claim that he has trained 100,000 doctors?? I call BS.

We are looking for real solutions and answers to a very vexing problem. Thanks.