TMJ and lockjaw

[Headset Hellion]

Not looking for any medical advice...I just kind of need to vent right now.

I have TMJ. It's been an ongoing problem that just keeps getting worse. Every time I open my mouth, my jaw pops and clicks. I grind my teeth and have constant headaches. My dentist wanted to refer me to an orthodontist for braces to correct my bite misalignment but I never made an appointment because my dental insurance doesn't cover orthodontics. He also wants me to get an occlusal guard, which is covered 50% IIRC, but I can't afford the co-pay right now.

Two weeks ago I went to the dentist for a few fillings. After having my mouth stretched open for such a long period of time, my jaw was very sore for a few days. Then I realized that my jaw popping was getting worse, even if I only opened my mouth a little bit. Last week I woke up one day and realized that I could only open my mouth part way; I yawned and my jaw popped out of place and sent a horrible shooting pain up into my ear. I made another appointment with my dentist which was for today.

I am now only able to open my mouth to about an inch between my top and bottom teeth. I basically have to beginning stages of trismus, or lockjaw. Eating solid food is difficult and I'm in pretty constant pain. The dentist talked to me again about getting braces and a mouth guard, that this is not going to just go away on its own, and if not corrected then I'm going to need surgery on my jaw.

He prescribed me an anti-inflammatory to take for the next month, minimum, and gave me some instructions about resting my jaw. I ended up not having the impressions done for the mouth guard because I simply do not have the extra money for the co-pay right now. He was really insistent about the orthodontics referral, and suggested I call my insurance company because this is not for cosmetic purposes.

I called my insurance company, and lo and behold they consider TMJ to be a medical diagnosis, not dental...therefore I have more coverage options! It's very possible that the braces and other treatments would be covered under my medical plan. Even better, I've already met my deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for the year, so it could be covered 100% (so long as I'm treated before Dec 31)! All the dentist has to do is to submit the pre-determination claim under medical and not dental.

So I called my dentist's office and his receptionist/tech acted like I was completely out of my mind and she had never heard of such a thing. She informed me that they do not, under any circumstances, submit any medical claims. She insisted that I must have misunderstood and that my insurance rep meant for me to submit the claim myself for major medical reimbursement. I am not thick, and I wrote down everything the rep told me and read it back to her for confirmation. I didn't argue with her, though; I just said maybe she was right and that I would call my insurance company back and ask for clarification.

I'm going to call the orthodontist he recommended tomorrow (the office was closed today) and hopefully they will understand what I need. I really, really hope so...

[wolfie]

I basically have to beginning stages of trismus, or lockjaw.

Not a doctor, but it looks like a "namespace collision". I'm more familiar with the term "lockjaw" being used to refer to Tetanus.

[Sapphire Silk]

Not a doctor, but it looks like a "namespace collision". I'm more familiar with the term "lockjaw" being used to refer to Tetanus.

The term can refer to both.

[Headset Hellion]

Not a doctor, but it looks like a "namespace collision". I'm more familiar with the term "lockjaw" being used to refer to Tetanus.

Tetanus infection can cause lockjaw, but it can also be caused by TMJ.

I was able to get an appointment with the orthodontist for next week, and they are ok with submitting the claim under my medical plan as long as this doctor agrees with the diagnosis.

Now my biggest concern is: what if I still can't open my mouth all the way for the consult?

[raudf]

Well, if you can't open your mouth, there will be no doubt of the issue!

My mom suffers from TMJ and one of her flair ups was as bad as yours. The doctor (not dentist because the dentist didn't have any openings for that day, IIRC) gave her a muscle relaxer and told her to alternate heat and cold packs to relax the muscle and reduce the swelling. He advised her to avoid hard foods and go with mushy, soft stuff. It took a few days, but it started loosening up.

Now, if she notices the pop, she starts the hot/cold packs.

[Headset Hellion]

Well, if you can't open your mouth, there will be no doubt of the issue!

LOL, good point!

[KhirasHY]

I've had TMJ issues for about...12 years now I think? Never gotten the "traditional" lockjaw where I couldn't open my mouth, but I've had it to the point where I couldn't get my jaw to close on one side (basically requiring me to eat with the other side, since only there could my teeth close around something). It's painful, and I feel for you for sure. I have learned a couple things over the years though:

1. Muscle relaxants help, but in a lot of way pain killers have helped me more over the years. Most/all of my TMJ lockjaw issues have been a lot like a muscle pull: I pop something, the muscle hurts, and my body instinctively tries to freeze the area in order to make it hurt less. A few days later, the pain is worse because the muscles in the jaw are so tensed up that I get lockjaw. I've found that chewing gum is a huge help, but when it happens to me I generally wait for the pain to "peak" then take something like Vicodin and it starts clearing up in a day or two. Doesn't solve the popping and eventual recurrence in a year or two, but it's something.

2. A cheaper solution to paying for an expensive guard can be to buy a sports mouthguard and wear it while you sleep, which prevents tooth grinding. Gross info, put a tower or two on your pillow; the general response to having a mouthguard in is lots of lots of drool. Yay!

3. As annoying as it can be, when the lockjaw clears up, try to get in the habit of stretching and working out your jaw by moving it around, opening your mouth, etc. You can massage your jaw muscles as well (or get someone you like to do it for you, feels good ), which I think has helped mine over the years as well.

Hope some of that helps, and hope the lockjaw clears up fast. It sucks, but it DOES eventually work itself away...

[Seshat]

If you can't talk because of it, have a friend come along who you trust to relay for you. Bring a notepad and pen, too. Or a laptop or tablet to type on.

If this specialist is familiar with lockjaw cases, he/she should be used to having to handle people who can't 'open wide'.

[Ghel]

Huh. My jaw pops pretty often, sometimes painfully. I never knew there was a name for it. My hubby doesn't believe it pops because there's "no joint there."

I hope your consult went well and you start getting some relief.

[Rock Lobster]

My dentist said never ever ever have surgery for TMJ. It wastes your time and money and just gives you more problems in the end.

[Aethian]

"no joint there"

Well not the green kind. :P

How does he think the jaw stays attached and move?

[munchkinmama]

I have TMJ from braces, but never have it lock closed. Sometimes when it acts up I have to work my jaw around and make it pop back into place to make it feel better.

[Sapphire Silk]

Now my biggest concern is: what if I still can't open my mouth all the way for the consult?

I think that will clinch the diagnosis

Huh. My jaw pops pretty often, sometimes painfully. I never knew there was a name for it. My hubby doesn't believe it pops because there's "no joint there."

There is. It's called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It's basically a "hinge" that allows the lower jaw to open and close, and to some extent move side to side.

TMJ problems can be very serious in some people. The pain is excruciating and a cause of migraine headaches and other forms of facial pain. It's hard to treat. Teeth grinding during sleep is a common cause, trauma, stress, but sometimes the causes are idiopathic (ie "we just don't know.")

[Ghel]

How does he think the jaw stays attached and move?

He once said "it's all muscular."

Anyway, I'm not trying to detract from Headset Hellion's or anyone else's issues. My troubles with TMJ are very minor.

[42_42_42]

Any place on the body where there's one bone meeting another bone, there's a joint.

Hope things get sorted for you, HH! I also have TMJ but never gotten as bad as what you are experiencing.