Talk:Temporomandibular joint disorder
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all very interesting, but why the first person?
Also, a definition of the disorder would be helpful. --AxelBoldt---- To my knowledge this is a "syndrome" and therefore the definitions consists of symptoms... but a list of symptoms is also missing. RoseParks
definitely not a disease...TMJ is most often caused by chronic tooth-grinding or jaw clenching. It is characterized by chronic headaches and and can lead to a misalignment of the jaw. JHK
But it is a syndrome and at times a disabling syndrome. And, there is no proof that it comes from tooth-grinding(bruxism) - that I know of. Do you have a reputable source for such a cause? More interesting is that the overwhelming majority of diagnosed patients are female. RoseParks
And what is a temporomandibular joint anyway? The joint that attaches the jaw to the rest of the head? -- Paul Drye
TMJ question
I happen to suffer from tmj.
It all started innocently enough when my first husband tried to kill me. In the process he dislocated my jaw, and it just hasn't been the same since then. I went to a specialist, got a splint, and after a few months I thought I was cured. Oh silly me. TMJ never goes away. It just lies dormant in your system, waiting to strike when you least expect it.
The next episode occured about 5 or so years ago. I was going through a very difficult time and woke up to find my jaw had dislocated itself in my sleep. I was in agony and had to go get another split, but I do have to say the second splint was not as nice as the first one. Again, I thought that just so long as I wore my splint to sleep every night that I was cured. End of story.
Oh no, tmj is a sinister little ailment that won't leave it's sufferers alone for a minute. Because I had to wear a split in my sleep, my back molar got a cavity. I went to the dentist to have it filled, only to find that the cavity got infected and I had become seriously ill from the infection. They then performed a root canal, which didn't take, so the tooth eventually had to be extracted. During the extraction, it was found that the molar had fused to the jaw and they had a hell of a time getting the tooth out. The result? Another severe case of tmj. I waited over 6 months, hoping it would clear up on its own. Having finally gone to the dentist (I asked not to see the previous one, can you guess why?) and I am on the waiting list to see an oral surgeon in January.
Having looked at several photos on the internet, I am so worried about what that dentist did to my joint when he took my tooth out.
I would be so grateful if the oral surgeon who wrote the article on tmj can give me some advice on what usually happens to the joint when the dentist does a really rough extraction. I am worried that I have slipped the disc or something.
Many thanks, --TracyRenee 17:32, 6 Nov 2004 (UTC)