TMJ Relief, No more Jaw Pain!

We are well into March and I am in the final stages of my orthotic treatment for TMJ, jaw pain, and my open bite. In my last post I kind of went over my options and how I'm leaning towards braces. My biggest question will be, do braces change my bite permanently? Or will I go back to the way things were? As of right now I am just enjoying the relief that this new position has given me.

Since my last visit, my orthotic was adjusted further to allow my jaw to relax forward a bit more. I have to say, not only does it feel better, but it looks better! Just comparing my jaw in the mirror from when it was resting far back, to now resting more comfortably forward, it looks more normal and aligns better with the front of my face.

It's a bit weird when a few days after my orthotic is adjusted, my jaw is sitting in a new place. Right now I can feel that it wants to move even more forward, but there is still a piece of the orthotic that is blocking it. This is okay because the jaw has to move gradually forward. It can't just be let loose all at once! That would be painful, but I do have the urge to file it down myself because my tooth keeps hitting it awkwardly. (Don't worry I won't! I don't want to mess with something as meticulous as this process.) I've come so far already, so waiting a few more months to get my perfect bite shouldn't be too hard.

But as the title of this blog post suggests, my TMJ is dramatically different. My jaw pain has dissolved and clearly this was the best option for me. TMJ is often considered to be untreatable, at least that is what my research has found, but this orthotic has really helped me and taken away all the pain.

In the next couple months I can see my jaw relaxing even further forward. Which I'm very happy about! The waiting requires a lot of patience, but it's well worth it. I've gained back my posture, and also my jaw mobility. I used to have to strain to open my jaw wide, and now I have no trouble at all and it is not painful.

Looking forward to more updates!!

Do I Have to Get Braces??

So, I just had another visit with my dentist. I sat for an hour while they TENS'd my jaw. Then she adjusted my orthotic again. It was definitely getting in the way of my jaw sliding forward, so it felt good to smooth it out a bit more. She is having me back in two months to check in again, which won't be until May 2013! I'm kind of sad I'm not done, but at the same time, if it's going to make me feel even better, then I'm all for it!
We briefly discussed my next options. She narrowed it down to three choices, but honestly I only see one as an option...even though it's going to be a long and most likely expensive process - Braces.
I will explain:

1. The first option that you will most likely be given if you choose to take this course, is to do nothing and simply live the rest of your life with an orthotic. This thing is worn 24/7 and you have to remove it to eat. Plus you have to keep it clean, which I do by brushing it with my toothbrush every morning and night. It's still difficult to keep the mineral deposits off it.(Yes, I'm whining just a bit.) My dentist said some people chose this as an option. It's probably the least expensive and most conservative, but I really see this being more of a hassle. Your orthotic will break down every few months. Like you've read in my other blog post, I have a crack in mine already and I've had it for about 6 months. So having to buy a new one every half a year? Longer? Would get expensive really fast.

2. The second option is to bond my back teeth. Luckily because my teeth are in pretty good condition, it's really just my jaw that needs to be re-positioned and moved forward. Raising my back teeth will hold my jaw in a forward position. The problem with this is it leaves a gap between my top and bottom teeth in the front. At first I thought this would be manageable, but when I looked at what the gap would be I couldn't help but instantly cringe. This would be a noticeable gap. Not only that, but it would prevent me from using my front teeth at all. I would have to break up food into little pieces and would not be able to bite into a sandwich. I actually don't care about the functionality as much as I was disappointed at the appearance. That might sound vain, but to be honest, I want to be able to smile and not have a huge hole in my mouth! Judge me as you will.

3. The third option is, you guessed it, (by reasonable deduction) braces. So they work with the position my orthotic has established to place braces on my teeth and slowly move them into a stable position that will fit them together, to be functional and visually appealing. This is at least a two-year process, and I didn't get an actual quote, but I'm guessing close to $10,000 in costs.
Honestly, this is the long term solution. I have to actually sit down with the orthodontist to see what he says and to ask a few questions such as, will the teeth maintain their position? Will I still have gaps in my teeth? and then of course what is the cost? But in my mind I keep thinking, I'd rather be unhappy with my smile for a couple of years than to be unhappy with my permanent solution. Right?

This is turning into quite an ordeal, but I have to say that I'm happy I took the non-surgery route. Either way I would've had to get braces, but at least this solution won't involve opening up my face! Lots of recovery time and high risk...I'm grateful that the worst thing I have to worry about is how I'll look with a metal mouth at 26!