Pain and clicking in my left jaw

[candi]

For the past month I have been experiencing a click in my jaw when I chew. I had to go to the dentist a couple of weeks ago to get a new crown so I was proceeded to tell him about the clicking and asked him to make it stop . He asked me to move my jaw around and it actually clicked loud enough to hear :-( .

Then he told me that it was probably arthritis in my jaw cause it's a joint like any other joint in the body. He asked me if I thought I was grinding my teeth at night and I do remember waking up doing just that ;( .

Bottom line is he said until I started having some real pain, just leave it alone. Well, a couple of days ago, I experienced that real pain he was talking about. Now my jaw is sore ;( .

Have any of you or someone you know experienced this and how can I make it stop? :*

Edited to say maybe I'm biting off way too much more than I can chew .

 

[scm]

One of my friends has those symptoms. She said it's TMJ. Here's a link I found on it.

http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/topics/tmj.cfm

See if this has more information for you.

Susan C.M.
Nothing should be jiggling, unless it's jiggling off. - Cathe in HSC

 

[dmd]

I have tmj and it isn't fun. I can tell you though correcting my bite is helping alot. I am in braces now for that reason and a cross bite. dmd

 

[Jcrew3082]

Oh, Candi, this is such a bummer! I agree with the ladies who said it is TMJ. When I was eight (don't ask how I remember lol), I opened my mouth wide to yamn, and *pop*. Man was I scared! Since then, I've been popping and clicking on and off. It seems to come and go. When it comes, it hurts, and I get a bad headache on the left side of my head. I do clench my teeth at night, and this contributes to the problem. Generally, when people are stressed or tense, they clench their jaws or grind their teeth at night. Your dentist can make you a special mouth gaurd to sleep with to relax the muscles. This is really a problem for a dentist to treat. Many specialize in TMJ disorders and can do certain tests to determine what the problem is.

So, I'm rambling now. I've compiled some good info on this over the years, and I'll send it to you ASAP.

Hang in there- and take some tylenol or excedrin!

 

[AllisonT]

Definitely TMJ. My husband has a severe case and it limits what he can eat.

The advice to ignore it unless it really hurts isn't the best - if you get a mouth guard now to stop your grinding, you might be able to limit further damage, and a good TMJ specialist can also recommend strengthening exercises. I'd get a recommendation on a dentist who specializes in TMJ, a maxilofacial specialist or an otolaryngologist (ear-nose-throat doctor) who handles TMJ.

Allison

 

[Dani53]

This happened to me recently and it was awful! It was nearly constant and could be quite painful. When it first started I actually got headaches during the day from the constant ache in my jaw. It lasted for about 5-6 months, but came on overnight.

I got one of those 'Sleep Right' bite thingys that my chiropractor recommended. He said I would have to sleep with it indefinitely to cure the problem. He thought I might have been grinding my teeth at night and this brought on the TMJ.

I am happy to report that after about a month of sleeping with this contraption in my mouth I am back to normal and even stopped using it. I will keep it just in case, but it was worth the expense because I am click/pain free!

 

[lala1]

In my first profession (!), I was a dental hygienist, and without being able to make the diagnosis, I think what others are saying is correct--most likely TMJ problems, but don't rule out arthritis. A night guard should help and your dentist can make you one. A cheaper route to start with would simply to be to buy the kind that are sold in the drug store. I would try that for a while and see if it helps. Also, like others said, visit a specialist.

 

[Bobbi]

Candi, I have been seeing a TMJ specialist since it is most likely the cause of the ear ringing. And, yep, I got orthotic appliances to keep me from clenching my jaw. A night guard and one for daytie use as well. I call them that because, splints and guards sound too simple to justify the amount he charged. I also get tension headaches and facial pain. There are many treatment options in addition to the guards, ranging from exercises and diet modifications. Don't chew gum, ice, finger nails and eat a soft diet for awhile. I found this website useful:
http://www.drsidholleman.com/

Good luck. I hope you get it resolved and quickly.
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver

 

[candi]

Thank you all so much for your input.

I had another dentist appointment this morning to put the permanent crown in. I explained to him that the pain got really bad on Monday. He looked at my bite with the temporary crown and noticed that the bite was high. I was also noticing yesterday that I could not bite down all the way on the opposite side...and that's where I was having the pain. The dentist thinks that the temporary was so high it caused my bite to be really off, thus causing my jaw to feel like it was slipping and the severe pain.

He thinks that I am developing arthritis in that jaw. I don't get headaches and up until Monday, there hasn't been pain, just the popping. I know I'm grinding at night so I think I will get one of those plastic mouthpieces to wear. My husband grinds and is supposed to wear one, too. He typically buys the ones that are not formed until you drop them in boiling water to soften the plastic and then insert in your mouth to form to your own teeth.

I was just so surprised at the severity of the pain when I had it and I actually felt my jaw slip. Ouch! Maybe if I start wearing something at night now, the symptoms will clear up I don't envy anyone that has to deal with TMJ.

There is such a wealth of information sharing on this site. I feel very fortunate :7.