mjbusch - Well I thought my tmj pain was gone, but it's back

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#1 Post by **mjbusch** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:04 pm

First of all I don't have braces yet. Possibly this September. I have had a heck of a time trying to solve my tmj problem. I have had it for the last 5 years. The first year I thought it was a problem with my ears, so I talked to a few ENT's. They had me do all the different audio tests and found nothing wrong. So the next year I talked about it to my dentist and they said that it could be tmj. So they sent me to a few Oral surgeons. They couldn't find anything wrong. So they refered me to the oral facial pain clinic and they were able to find nothing wrong. All they prescribed was different kinds of muscle relaxers. Of course that didn't help my make me feel even worse.

Anyway, after seeing about 12 dentists, 4 oral surgeons, 2 ents. I finally started to seek orthodontic treatment. A few orthodontist said that they could straighten my teeth but it might not solve my tmd problems. So I kind of a gave up on them since it seemed like they didn't care about my jaw issues. So I finally found a dentist that does functional orthodontics.

I had to go through way more tests then any other doctor I have been to. I had to wear a headphone type device on my jaw joints. They did xrays on my jaw joints and did many different types of measurements.

At that appointment I had to get impressions and was prescribed a gelb appliance or sometimes called a mora appliance. The purpose of this appliance is to bring my jaw down and forward. I have to keep it in 24 hours a day and have to eat with it in place.

So it's been about 5 weeks wearing this appliance, most of my symptoms have really decreased. I am unable to bite down on my back molars now. I was told that I might be getting braces as early as September. I will only have top braces first and then the dentist will to erupt my molars to fit in place of the splint and hopefully I will be done with treatment.

Here are a few pictures, they are closeups.

Before

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... G_0732.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... G_0736.jpg

After

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/mjbusch/Bite1.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/mjbusch/bite2.jpg

Splint

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... splint.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... plint2.jpg

#2 Post by **Meloho** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:03 am

Wow, that's awesome! I love that I can read the experience of someone going through pretty much the same thing as me. You look just about ready for braces, although the ortho is probably doing like mine did, giving your TMJ ample time to heal. Good luck and I look forward seeing your progress!

#3 Post by **mjbusch** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:28 pm

It should be interesting. I had braces before when I was about 12, but only the uppers. I am a little nervous about getting braces, but I know I need to get it done.

#4 Post by **girl_with_a_bob** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:54 am

Good luck

!!! I can't wait to see your progress on the forums.

#5 Post by **Laurie** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:09 am

It's wonder that after being in pain for so long you've found something that's giving you some relief!

#6 Post by **mjbusch** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:45 pm

I haven't updated this for a while. I am still wearing the splint, but Monday I will being getting top braces and I am not sure when I will be getting the splint removed or bottom brackets. Luckily, I don't have the pain that I once did. I guess it's time now for phase II !!!

#7 Post by **MommaDucky** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:54 pm

mjbusch: I really hope I'm not embarrassing myself by saying this, but you have an absolutely BEAUTIFUL smile! I looked at your photos and I was in awe -- I can't believe you're getting braces! Ah, but alas -- even people with very straight teeth get braces. In any case, your teeth look fantastic already, they are nicely shaped and uber-white!

I've never really understood what TMJ is, or even what it stands for.... stupid me, I guess. Perhaps you could fill me in?

Good luck on Monday!!! Take care.

#8 Post by **cwatt1** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 7:48 pm

mjbusch, just stopping by to say hello! I agree with MommaDucky -- you do have a beautiful smile, even pre-treatment!

I'm glad your TMJD is less painful now; sounds like the approach is the right one. My daughter had TMJD as a teenager, and was prescribed a bite splint -- I'm not sure what the technical name for it was, as the ortho simply called it a bite splint -- but we could never get her to keep it in; she was always either losing the thing or dropping it and breaking it! As an adult now, her TMJD has lessened considerably, but still bothers her from time to time.

All the best for your upcoming b-day on Monday!

Katherine, TMJD is an acronym for temporomandibular joint disorder. The TM joint is what connects the jaw to the rest of the skull and allows it to move (up and down, side to side, chewing, etc.) TMJD generally manifests itself as inflamation and soreness in that joint, and can cause associated problems like earaches, headaches, locking or popping of the jaw, and other issues.

#9 Post by **MommaDucky** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:14 am

Ok, one more thing I can check off my list to learn about! No I won't feel so dumb when I see or hear of TMJ (or TMJD) again.

mjbusch - less than two more days to go! Are you excited?

#10 Post by **mjbusch** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:51 pm

I got top braces Monday!! They don't hurt as much as when I was younger or it might be that my orthodontist was nice to me at first. The splint was much harder getting use to and had a aching pain. So Friday I got spacers and wore them all weekend until Monday. Only a few fell out but I easily flossed them back in. So Monday I got those removed and then the bands put in the right one had a good fit and the left one they had to sand down the a little to get it on. The whole process of getting braces only took about 30 minutes. I was also told that I will be getting lower braces in about 3 months and also having to wear a rick a nator and the vertical elastics for the molars.

So now I have top braces with a .014 wire and my gelb splint. And still no jaw pain.

Spacers
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... pacers.jpg

Smile after getting braces. (You can even notice the color codes on each bracket)
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... anding.jpg

Smile taken today after one day
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j60/m ... ssmile.jpg

#11 Post by **MommaDucky** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:28 pm

I'll say it again: your smile looks fabulous! Are you excited about getting the braces?! How are they feeling now that it's been a few days?

Hope you're doing well and hanging in there!

#12 Post by **mjbusch** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:49 pm

Thanks for all the nice comments MommaDucky...

I am really excited to have braces again. They are so much nicer then they were 15 years ago. I have had really no pain with my teeth but I have smiled to much and made my cheeks a little raw. My orthodontist didn't seem to snip the wires as close as he should have on the molar bands.

So after my top arch gets aligned, he will start with the bottom ones and that's when I have to get the rick anator appliance. Not really looking forward to it, but I never thought this will be easy.

One cool thing about having braces is that people bring up stories all the time how they were in braces. Some of them have beautiful smiles...some of them, not so much.

#13 Post by **MommaDucky** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:11 am

Haha, great story. I know what you mean though, my father in law had braces as a kid (he's now 60, so it's been a while) and his teeth aren't perfect either.

Tell me more about your appliance - I've never heard of it.

#14 Post by **mjbusch** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:05 pm

Well, I am guessing your talking about the Gelb splint. Since I haven't got the Rick anator appliance yet.

The Gelb splint also called the Mora splint is used for people with Tempromandibular Joint Disorder. It has acrylic pads on both sides with indentations where your upper teeth will sit. It has a thick lingual bar on the bottom but you can't even tell it's there.

So it took at a day to for me not to lisp. It was extremely difficult to chew food for about a week. My lower jaw has moved forward about 3 mm and I am not able to bite down on any teeth except my front four teeth without the splint. I have now been wearing the splint since the beginning of May and without taking it out for more then 5 minutes a day, so I can brush my teeth.

I have no jaw problems since the end of May and know hopefully the braces will erupt the molar teeth so I won't have to wear the splint any longer.

#15 Post by **MommaDucky** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:58 pm

interesting... how exactly does it move your jaw? And I've not heard of the appliance you're supposed to be getting in the future... what's that?