Struggling with TMJ/TMD - How I'm staying positive!

In my last post I spoke about how I was getting a second opinion. That appointment has come and gone, and honestly it had only left me with more questions. I feel now I can post something of more substance after THREE more appointments (4 total!!) that have come and gone.

So, I drove 3 hours there and back (6 hours in a day) to this appointment only to find out that I would have to schedule an appointment with an orthodontist. Needless to say I was nervous about meeting with an orthodontist because the last one was dead set on me having surgery. I'm still trying to avoid that if at all possible.

One of the most frustrating things about all these appointments, was that I would speak to one office that would say the doctors would update each other, but when I would call up, and they would have no idea what I was talking about. For example, the dentist referred me to an ortho, they were suppose to give the ortho's office all my information that I just gave them. I called to set up an appointment and they had no idea what I was talking about.

Luckily the ortho's office, (which would've also been 3 hours away) asked if I would prefer a referral to an orthodontist in my area. Of course I said YES!!!!!! They recommended me to a nearby orthodontist. I went to their office, had a consultation. They recommended me to an orofacial doctor who they work with. I should mention here that the Orofacial Dr. is apparently renowned in the nation. He treats many people with my exact problems, and also has a clear cut plan when it comes to using braces to follow-up the orthotic. (Not to mention the orthodontist quoted my braces treatment at most $7500, which is much less than the $70,000 that my Neuromuscular Dentist quoted me.)

Anywho, at the orthodontist, they had me come back to get x-rays and records made. Afterwards, I set up the appointment with the Orofacial Doctor. He took a CB scan, (luckily he had all the equipment in his office). He also sat down with me and very meticulously spent an hour going over my whole story AGAIN. (Which I really appreciated. Even he was shocked by how many doctors I had seen and how many years I spent in this current orthotic.) Only to find out that I have another YEAR's worth of treatment with another jaw orthotic or what they call a splint. (Which, again, luckily they make/fix the splints in-office, which was a major problem with my other dentist having to ship my orthotic away for weeks in order to repair it or not repair it at all...)

So, I've saved you many posts for each of these appointments, (You're welcome) and am just now beginning to reflect on everything.

Having met with the Orofacial doctor, I think I moving into a different approach to this. To just recap what I've been doing the past three years, I have been going through Neuromuscular Dentistry treatment using a Tensing unit that would basically send electrical impulses throughout my face, in order to relax my muscles. After sitting with this on my face for an hour, my dentist would then adjust my orthotic to hold the relaxed position. Ultimately, I found success with the results in that a lot of pain was reduced. There are areas that have not been resolved, my first issue being that this is not permanent, I am still forced to wear the orthotic all day. Secondly, I still have some significant pain, although it definitely has been reduced!! As you can read in my previous posts.

While meeting with the Orofacial doctor, I started to realize that there were still things about my current bite that I'm not happy with. I was still hoping my Neuromuscular Dentist could help, but later learned this would not be changing. Also, the idea of drilling down my teeth and also expanding my palate (both were part of my last consultation with the ND) were not ideal for me. (Should also mention that my current orthotic is BROKEN on one side, so that has only made more pain return.)

Some other things I was unhappy with were my open bite. I personally feel that my jaw wants to be brought down in the back and closed in the front, to alleviate even more pressure in my joints. My temples still have pain, and I also have some chronic neck/shoulder pain that has been reduced, but not completely resolved. (It might be false hope, but my Orofacial Doctor seemed to think he could reduce even more pain and get me in a more stable bite. He 100% recommended that I not get braces because he felt that I was still in such an unstable position that I would immediately begin to feel pain from the movement of my teeth.)

This all leads me to my treatment moving forward with the Orofacial specialist. His experience has been that while Neuromuscular Dentistry looks at muscles, it doesn't address the joints themselves and what is happening in them. He said he has treated patients this way before and has found that hearing their story and looking at where they are through CB scans and x-rays, etc., he can manipulate the splint himself, without using a TENSing unit and has found better results this way.

I am reaching the realization that it really depends on the doctor, not their practice or study, but their experience with these kinds of issues. My latest doctor seems to have more success stories from start to finish ( meaning the Phase II portion, or making long term changes). Whereas my other doctor seemed at a loss for what I could do after fitting my orthotic to my "ideal" bite. I don't want to believe that the last three years were a waste of time, but one does start to lose faith in their care when you reach another dead end and have to start over...

Which leads me to my next point, "How I'm staying positive!" Ultimately, I don't have a choice but to keep going and not look back. There's no use in thinking about what I should've done (If it's even possible to know for sure). I've come so far, and every step along the way has made me more informed and better prepared for what is to come. Just like all things in life! I also am hoping that my experiences may help someone else who is going through the same things.

I've remained positive throughout my Neuromuscular treatment, and while there were huge positives, I'm still not sure where I want to be as far as comfort, and also as far as permanent solutions (i.e. braces). Luckily, and this is really the best part, nothing that I've done so far has been permanent or created any damage. If anything I've improved and found a better (although not ideal) bite. So I say, bring on the splints!! Because it is a solution that allows me to change my mind about and I don't have to be committed to until I'm sure it works.

In my humble opinion, I've found a lot of limitation surrounding the research of where to go for the best treatment, as far as doctors go. Oftentimes it's not clear which is the best doctor for exactly your situation. Obviously, doctors are running businesses, so their websites show their best side and you can't necessarily make a good decision based on this. Furthermore, it's challenging to make a choice without meeting with the doctor first and they usually will charge you for a consultation, and also refuse to speak with you over the phone. So it's definitely a challenge!

Even though I fought the idea, getting a second opinion then a third and a fourth, was really the best decision I could've made. I'm hopeful that this new splint treatment will improve my situation. I'm also excited because this splint won't cover my front teeth, just my back, so it will be virtually invisible when I'm wearing it. I'm also looking forward to closing the front of my bite...not sure if that will be possible, but I'm going to push for it, because I think I will be generally more comfortable in that position.

So, I'm staying present throughout this process and just waiting to see what happens. My next appointment with the Oro doc is going to be Sept. 17, 2015, when they will take some more records and also give me an overall assessment of what I can expect moving forward. Then on my THIRD appointment I will finally get a new splint. I am praying that I get it by the end of this month or early October. I don't want to wait any longer!! My current splint is extremely worn down and practically useless, but I am in worse shape without it. (If you can believe that!)

If you have any questions or just want to comment with your thoughts, experiences, etc. Please do so below!!! I hope my loooooooooooooong winded story can at least help someone in a similar situation.

I'm looking forward to what the future holds and more improvements! I know I'm on the right path towards a pain-free jaw!