another problem here

[busz84]

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i know this site is not for dental related problem consultation, but i'm in the point of needing some second opinions now. for the past 4 months, i've been having this tmj problem, (i'm just guessing abt the tmj), cause i can't open my mouth fully. well, it all started from stretching, i was just stretching one day and suddenly after i was done stretching, my right jaw was somehow locked, what i meant what that it couldn't open all the way, but it closes just fine. it hasn;t bothered me with eating, but the widest i can open my mouth is probably around 3 fingers or less. i've been to some doctors and dentists to ask them abt this problem, and the last time i went to this TMJ specialist, they suggested me a TMJ treatment that cost 750 bucks (i dont have insurance), and they told me the problem is probably caused by me grinding my teeth and never relaxed. Well, abt a few days ago, i felt that my mouth could open better, cause i was more relaxed than normal. but somehow, i notice that when i open my mouth, my jaw is not straight, rather, it was more moving to the left when it opens. thus, i had no clue, and am still thinking abt the TMJ treatment option. however, if i do this, i'll be very occupied in terms of schedule because they told me that this treatment can take at least 5 hours per week, and i'm now applying to dental school and am very busy with school work as well.
Do you guys think the treatment is necessary?

thanks for any suggestions

 

[lnn2]

I would go to a dental school and have them check it out whether the TMJ is dislocated due to over stretching. That treatment sounds very fishy to me! Is the TMJ specialist an ENT?

You have some of the symptoms of (but not limited to) TMJ dysfunction:
-Ear pain
-Sore jaw muscles
-Temple/cheek pain
-Jaw popping/clicking
-Locking of the jaw
-Difficulty in opening the mouth fully
-Frequent head/neck aches

In the mean time:
-Chew evenly
-Stop clenching, gritting, or grinding teeth.
-Stop chewing gum.
-Avoid hard chewy foods.
-Relax muscles with moist heat (1/2 hour at least twice daily)
-Take aspirin (or buffered aspirin) or other anti-inflammatory medicines

 

[HuyetKiem]

I would go to a dental school and have them check it out whether the TMJ is dislocated due to over stretching. That treatment sounds very fishy to me! Is the TMJ specialist an ENT?

You have some of the symptoms of (but not limited to) TMJ dysfunction:
-Ear pain
-Sore jaw muscles
-Temple/cheek pain
-Jaw popping/clicking
-Locking of the jaw
-Difficulty in opening the mouth fully
-Frequent head/neck aches

In the mean time:
-Chew evenly
-Stop clenching, gritting, or grinding teeth.
-Stop chewing gum.
-Avoid hard chewy foods.
-Relax muscles with moist heat (1/2 hour at least twice daily)
-Take aspirin (or buffered aspirin) or other anti-inflammatory medicines

His right pterygoid muscle was injured ?

 

[lnn2]

His right pterygoid muscle was injured ?

It's the Left Lateral Pterygoid muscle. Since the jaw moves to the Left when OPENed, the Left lateral pterygoid is damaged (muscle spasm in his case due to over stretching)

If the Right lateral pterygoid muscle was injured (spasm) then the jaw will move to the Left during EXCURSION [side-to-side grinding (movement)]

If the TMJ is not dislocated then the problem (muscle spasm) will most likely resolve by itself without the $750 tx, hopefully 😀

 

[aphistis]

You're drawing a lot of conclusions from a single complaint. At the *very* least, I'd preface your suggestions with a "based on what you've told us here." TMD can be a mess, and it's rarely a slam dunk the way you're suggesting.

 

[lnn2]

You're drawing a lot of conclusions from a single complaint. At the *very* least, I'd preface your suggestions with a "based on what you've told us here." TMD can be a mess, and it's rarely a slam dunk the way you're suggesting.

Dude, those are just my suggestions not conclusions nor diagnoses. Nobody in his/her right mind can make a conclusion/diagnose without seeing and examing the patient. Read it again so you can understand it. That's why I recommended seeking tx at dental school to the OP.

TMJ disorder is complex and can be difficult to diagnose, duh, who doesn't know that. Of course I'm basing my suggestions on what he had told us; what else that it was based on? And they're not just "a single complaint" like you said. You're telling me how to post about this topic?! what a fing joke.

Do u have anything else USEFULL to share with us? Let hear it then genius. This is why some of the threads usually turn into something esle unrelated, have nothing to do with the OP's post.

 

[aphistis]

TMJ disorder is complex and can be difficult to diagnose, duh, who doesn't know that.

The OP, for one. Lighten up, fella, I wasn't jumping down your throat.

 

[rrc]

It sounds like you have a left anterior disk displacement without reduction resulting in a closed lock. This is typically treated conservatively for about a month or so and if this does not help get the inflammation down and the disk back into position then you can have something called an arthrocentesis performed. Most centers will require an MRI prior to confirm the diagnosis but it pretty much sounds like this is the problem. I doubt you have any type of pterygoid muscle injury from the description you provide. Again, this is just my opinion from the information that you gave.

 

[dientesfuertes]

Why do you need to open wider than 3 fingerwidths?
I can only open a tiny bit wider than 3 fingers, and I've never had any trouble with my TMJ. Are you having difficulty chewing? A sandwich or other food thicker than 3 fingers seems a little excessive to me.....

 

[busz84]

Why do you need to open wider than 3 fingerwidths?
I can only open a tiny bit wider than 3 fingers, and I've never had any trouble with my TMJ. Are you having difficulty chewing? A sandwich or other food thicker than 3 fingers seems a little excessive to me.....

first of all i'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions.

the thing abt opening more than 3 fingers is because what i felt lately was that when i try to open my mouth, i have to do it really slowly, and it felt kinda heavy and tense around the right tmj down to the jaw area. when i try opening quickly, it sometimes felt like the jaw was locked and i could only open for abt 1 1/2 to 2 fingers. but, when i close and open it again slowly, i could open bigger, but i still feel the stress around the right jaw area.

actually, abt 2 1/2 months ago, i went to this dentist, he told me that the reason i couldn't open my jaw was because if my wisdom tooth coming out (it's on the lower right side). thus, he told me we had to have it removed, and he did it through surgery (he had a very difficult time doing this cause my mouth couldn't open wide and it was so painful to force it to open at that time), but it didn't make the situation better. after abt a month, i still couldn't open my mouth, and then he told me that the problem is my root canal ( tooth #30, it wasn't done that well, so the root was not straight but instead tilted), and when i asked him, he told me it could cost abt 2000 bucks to have it redone (i dont have insurance). i thought abt it, and then i decided not to do it cause honestly i dont feel any pain around the root canal area. so, i didn't do it and instead went to health center in my univ to get it checked. they then referred me to a ENT, and this ENT gave me muscle relaxant and motrin, i had it for 3o days and the muscle relaxant did help cause it helped me open my mouth wider. but after 30 days, i stopped having it and the tension around the jaw area came back again. so, since this ENT couldn't really find out what's wrong, she referred me to the oral surgeon, but the earliest i can see him is the end of december (way too long of a wait i think). due to this, i decided to see the TMJ specialist (another different dentist) and he suggested me the TMJ treatment that cost 750 bucks.

up to now, im still feeling the tension around the right tmj and jaw area when i try to open my mouth. also, i still feel the lower jaw is moving to the left a bit when i open my mouth.

i'm sorry this is such a long story, but i just thought details matter for this case.

thanks so much u guys for all the suggestions

 

[rrc]

Again, this really sounds like a disk displacement without reduction. Especially with a history of a displaced disk with reduction in the past. This means that the disk between the condyle and fossa is displaced anteriorly and sometimes you can manipulate your jaw around the disk and thus you are able to open up widely at times. Eventually this becomes a non-reducing disk and you can only open up a limited amount despite trying to manipulate your jaw. Any oral surgeon will know this and this is the person you need to see. You will also need an MRI because although there are things that point to the left side, you are also having pain on the right and some imaging will sort this out.