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Has anyone tried an OTC bite guard for TMJ relief?

Posted: Jan 20, 2012

I have TMJ that flares up and has been hurting me for the last couple of days. My dentist has said I need a bite guard for when I sleep and when I'm working because I clench my jaw and grind my teeth at night. However, to get one made through her will cost me $300 because my insurance will not cover it! I've looked at the OTC ones that you can sort of "do it yourself" and fit it to your teeth. My dentist has said I should absolutely NOT use one of the OTC ones because it will do more damage to my jaw and crossbite and whatever else she thinks is wrong with my teeth. I just can't afford to shell out $300 for me when I have a daughter who will need braces soon.

So how much damage could I really do with a cheapie?

;

I would say... - BeenThere

[ In Reply To ..]
I have suffered from TMJ for years and was also a night-time grinder.

That is a manifestation of STRESS, and any kind of "bite guard" is only dealing with the MANIFESTATION rather than the CAUSE.

I would suggest the following:

* Start exercising, even if it's just a half-hour walk every morning. Riding a bike is another good one!

* Start practicing some form of skilled relaxation twice per day, morning and night. I listen to Centerpointe CDs, which only requires a time commitment on my part. They're entirely effortless -- just put good quality headphones in your ears, lie back and relax, and hit "play."

If you do not start dealing with the stress in your life, it will pop up in other ways, such as colitis/IBS, skin problems, etc. As you know, stress can manifest in many, many different ways. You don't want to ruin your health because then you won't be able to function at your capacity as an employee, partner, parent, etc.

Back to the bite guard, the OTC bite guard was never an option for me because I have a very small mandible/lower bite and also have mandibular tori. That said, looking into bite guards occurred before I began practicing SR and learned to control the stress in my life before it controlled me completely. I haven't had any grinding since then.

I wish you the best!

I suffered from that many years ago and the - mouthguard was a SM

[ In Reply To ..]
blessing. After using it for a while, the TMJ lessened, and today I have no problems. I do agree that it is partly related to stress but I think it is important to get rid of the pain while dealing with stress issues. I would definitely research what is being offered online though. Don't just go for the less expensive one.

I have a bite guard - cindy

[ In Reply To ..]
The dentist told me the same thing that the OTC one were not wise, but he also told me why, saying that they could cause damage to my gums. I tried using my bite guard and I could not tolerate it. I was constantly gagging. I went back and the dentist did adjustments to it, but nothing helped, I just could not tolerate it. Anti-inflammatories are also a good treatment, unfortunately, I have severe GI issues and can not take them. But the dentist had said if I could take anti-inflammatories he would have prescribed a Medrol Dosepak to calm down the pain and use Aleve after that as needed or on a regular basis depending on how bad your pain is, so I would call your dentist and ask for this or a Prednisone taper to get you through this bought of pain. Also, your PCP can precribe that for you.

Stress is a cause of TMJ but also arthritis in the TMJ can be painful too. I have moderate OA in the joint but in my area trying to find a doctor who treats TMJ was difficult, as my dentist has done everything he can and suggested I see an oral surgeon. The only one I could find offered me nothing other than a soft food diet, which did not seem to help much and I refuse to live on baby food the rest of my life. I wanted a cortisone injection to help with the joint pain but he refused to do it, so I just suffer. Once I have insurance again, I will look for a new oral surgeon.

By the way, $300 is a steal compared the $700 that my bite guard cost, but I was lucky that my insurance covered all but $50 but still I feel really jipped that I had to pay $50 for something I could not even use!

Best of luck to you and try a Medrol Dosepak and warm wet wash cloths over the area of pain. Hopefully that will help you.

TMJ here too - ouch

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, I've had TMJ problems for years. Not only is the pain constant, especially while working, but the damage I've done to tooth surfaces while grinding can't even be calculated. In fact, just this week, I broke off half of a tooth and will require a crown (~$1000.00...not ONE RED CENT covered by insurance, thank you very much).

I realize it's all about stress. It's not rocket science to figure out that the day-to-day insecurities of this profession have me wound up tighter every day. Something has to blow, I guess.

I've heard it said that Alexander Technique is excellent for training in identifying stress reactions and reduction...maybe some day.

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