Temporomandibular joint disorder

[Rememberallball]

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has experience of TMJD? I’ve been struggling with clicking and locking jaw joint and some googling reveals this to be the most likely cause. I also have RA and it is acknowledged that you can get TMJD with RA.

I wonder what treatment people have had and anything you e done to make life easier. I have 10 month old twins who I breastfeed so I am wary about taking any medications other than those I’m on for my RA.

I did, when I was at university, so 20+ years ago,
Sometimes it would be so bad I couldn’t open my mouth wide enough to eat solid food.
I was given a bite guard, that fitted over my lower teeth and jutted our a bit. It made me lisp terribly. But it did work.

Go to the dentist and get a mouth guard, fitted to your teeth.
I wear mine at night so my jaw can't lock overnight and it 100% works. It still creeps up during the day sometimes (the excruciating pain in the jaw) but I know I can get rid of it during the night which makes it more bearable !

Start with a mouth guard, if it works for you great. Heat helps too,

a warm cloth on the jaw line to help the muscle relax.

Whatever you do, do not have an operation bitter experience.

Good luck op

I had this a few years ago, thankfully over time things are back to normal, although it took a long time and improvement was very gradual. I saw a consultant (long wait!) and was given exercises, and various do's and don'ts. At the time I couldn't open my mouth fully to eat or, for example, at the dentist. I was also given relaxation info as well as it was suspected I was stressed and grinding teeth/ jaw clenching in my sleep. I was stressed so I think that was probably the cause. Link below has useful advice:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/temporomandibular-disorder-tmd/

I have it... I’ve not had the cortisone injections but apparently they really help. You can only have so many so try mouth guard first

Chiropractor combined with daily amytriptline tablets has helped greatly.

When I get it it I very gently move my lower jaw forward and slowly poke the tip of my tongue out between my lips, then in and slowly out again (bit like a snake!). It looks odd but after a while my jaw loosens up.

I was given an exercise that sounds really odd but worked for me.

Place tip of tongue on the roof of your mouth and then slowly lower your bottom jaw as far as you can without moving your tongue off the roof of your mouth.

Thank you ladies. Unfortunately we don’t have a dentist - we moved over 200 miles away 20 months ago and had to go on a waiting list for an NHS dentist and are still on that list (I have no income, my husband is on leas than £20,000pa and we have 10 month old twins so have been entitled to NHS treatment since February last year via maternity exemption but was also an NHS patient before we moved) so I’m not sure how I’d get fitted for a mouth guard.

It locked while I was eating lunch yesterday (soup and toast so nothing exciting) and this morning I’m in quite a lot of pain with headache, stiff jaw and unable to open my mouth properly. I’ve taken ibuprofen and paracetamol and, after the weekend am going to call my GP surgery because of the link with RA.

One of these would help as a stop gap, op, till you can see a dentist
and get a properly fitted one:

www.amazon.co.uk/BRUXADENT-Grinding-Medical-Whitening-Customisable/dp/B07YB8QT1W/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=bite+guard&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1593265235&sr=8-6

Theres anotherbthread running on this topic if you have a search. Might be useful.

@Mrsmorton, thank you so much I’ll go have a look x