Cammie Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Dr. Hive, My dd 13 has had jaw issues it seems for a few months now. We have taken her to a chiro who did some adjustments that seemed to give some short term relief. But the actual problem still seems to exist. She says if she yawns it often will pop and sometimes "shift out of place." She has had times when there was considerable pain. What should the next step be? The dentist for a recommendation to a specialist? Or some other type of doctor? We don't think she grinds her teeth at night - how would we determine if she was? Any thoughts would be appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 An orthodontist would be my first stop because many general dentists do not have a panoramic xray and refer out for it. Although, many are starting to have them these days. You could call your dentist office and ask their recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I had this when I was a teen (after a car accident). It got worse - to the point where I had to manipulate my jaw in order to eat. I had surgery-- it was corrected, and I was normal after about 3 months of no chewing food (lots of soups) and a couple of months of jaw "therapy". All in all a pretty easy recovery and it never returned.-- Tiny scar under my ear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Sounds like TMJ to me, too. I have had it for years, but mine isn't painful unless I clench my jaw too much or grind my teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 She's going to need an MRI to identify TMJ. An ortho will be able to refer for that, but a panoramic won't give an accurate picture of the jaw joints. FWIW, it took several tries to get a decent MRI for me, because my jaw kept slipping (I wasn't moving, but my jaw would slip). There is a mouth piece that she should wear at night (to prevent clenching), smaller bites, softer foods are also highly recommended. With TMJ, it's important to not stress the jaw by ripping and tearing with the teeth. While a soft sandwich can be okay, ripping and tearing into an artisan bread or a pizza crust...not so much. Forks and Knives...forks and knives, small bites (not quite Toddler-small, but smaller than most people are used to). There is surgery, but that is usually last resort (and not done while kids are growing). Insurance companies want to see management efforts tried first. TMJ can be caused by a poor alignment of the teeth...so an ortho is definitely in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 My daughter has similar symptoms. Chiro helps relieve pain and popping but doesn't put a stop to it returning. She discovered while sleeping away from home and on our sofa that the popping stops when she doesn't sleep on her own mattress so we're replacing that. Next stop is a TMJ specialist referred to by her dentist. She does grind her teeth at night--we know it because she's ground a hole in one side of her retainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Even before heading to a consult... 1. Get her a night guard. Wear it every night and during the day when she is home. When soreness goes away, she can quit wearing it during the day. 2. No chewing gum. Avoid foods that require a lot of chewing for a couple of weeks. You may find that this will take care of her pain. She would have no clue she grinds or clenches at night. I've been able to successfully avoid surgery for TMJ for 27 years and live fairly pain free. It will flare every once in a while if I am stressed and not wearing my night guard. (I had one made specially made for me when diagnosed, but just use otc ones now.) I still can't chew gum for more than a minute without causing issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 If she doesn't have an alignment issue with her bite, then another option would be a Rocabado trained physical therapist There can be disc issues, capsule issues, muscle issues, ligament issues, etc. Forward head posture, etc. can also contribute to TMJ issues. A thorough eval will tease out what structures are a problem and will guide treatment. For ex, there are techniques that can improve symmetry in opening and closing, joint capsule can be stretched, etc. It really depends on the origin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 Thanks for all the replies! I asked her to pick up a night guard when she was in the US and she said they all said for "over 18 years old" so of course...she didn't buy one (doesn't matter that I said to still buy it...) So I think here I will have to go to the orthodontist and see what the process is here. We will have to keep an eye on it for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 You can also buy one of those mouth guards for athletes that you soften in boiling water, then put in your mouth to mold it. She can wear that at night. (That's what our dentist recommended to me as a first, low cost, noninstrusive step.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Did someone mention teeth grinding (bruxism)? Sorry if I missed that. The bruxism can be related to the pain, TMJ, popping, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Even before heading to a consult... 1. Get her a night guard. Wear it every night and during the day when she is home. When soreness goes away, she can quit wearing it during the day. 2. No chewing gum. Avoid foods that require a lot of chewing for a couple of weeks. You may find that this will take care of her pain. She would have no clue she grinds or clenches at night. I've been able to successfully avoid surgery for TMJ for 27 years and live fairly pain free. It will flare every once in a while if I am stressed and not wearing my night guard. (I had one made specially made for me when diagnosed, but just use otc ones now.) I still can't chew gum for more than a minute without causing issues. TMJ Disorder can just be transient and developmental. Considering her age, I would see the dentist, but would NOT see a "TMJ Specialist". Patients rarely have much improvement due to treatment by a "specialist" in this area.(Past the normal recommendations from a general dentist) A general dentist can make a night guard. If she needs orthodontic treatment, I would pursue that. Proper teeth alignment is important. *Unload* the joint : Get rid of gum all together. Does she chew on anything else? I have seen it all:hair bands,shirts,penciis, etc... Try to avoid opening too wide when laughing, yawning... Alternate warm and cold compresses on the joint and use anti-infammatoiries(Ibuprohen) Surgery is a last option for people. Many, many people live with a level of discomfort. They just learn how to minimize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 My son doesn't have pain, but his jaw pops when he opens his mouth, even enough to talk. I was getting frustrated with his mumbling until he finally said his jaw popped and it bugged him. I took him to an orthodontist who mentioned a mouth guard (which we haven't tried yet). He also said it was important to sleep on your back. He said putting pressure on the jaw by sleeping on it can cause problems too. My son hates sleeping on his back so that hasn't 't gone well, but maybe your daughter would have better luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 No, she doesn't chew anything, ever. No gum, no nervous chewing, etc. I used to think it had to do with "something" out of alignment. Maybe from wrong pillow, heavy backpack. We would see the chiro and it did seem to improve temporarily after the adjustments. We do have a very good dentist here, we will go see him. She appears to have perfect teeth, we had an ortho consult ages ago and he simply said he could make her teeth slightly "more perfect." Not worth the money in her opinion or mine! I also thought it might be due to tension but it increased again while she was having a fabulous vacation in the US...so I don't think that is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Another vote from someone who'd see an orthodontist. Hope you can get help for her! Sounds like no fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Well... my dd got TMJ from braces.... and orthodontist said jaw position wasn't his level of expertise... so I guess braces are just to make teeth pretty?? Its been frustrating and I'm not willing to let money fly unless I know it will be fixed. You would not believe the "professionals" I've talked to. Dd's teeth were very crooked, so something got moved that shouldn't have. But finding someone affordable and knowledgeable is a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 No, she doesn't chew anything, ever. No gum, no nervous chewing, etc. I used to think it had to do with "something" out of alignment. Maybe from wrong pillow, heavy backpack. We would see the chiro and it did seem to improve temporarily after the adjustments. We do have a very good dentist here, we will go see him. She appears to have perfect teeth, we had an ortho consult ages ago and he simply said he could make her teeth slightly "more perfect." Not worth the money in her opinion or mine! I also thought it might be due to tension but it increased again while she was having a fabulous vacation in the US...so I don't think that is it. My dd ended up with TMJ issues from clenching her jaw in the daytime. Our dentist said that your top and bottom teeth should normally have space between them while you are going about your daily activities... not touching/clenching. Could be something to ask your dd about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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