TMJ and ANs

[sunny]

Hi Folks,

I am 6 months post-CK, and have had a bit of a revelation (?) regarding my TMJ.

Many years ago, I would have an occasional clicking in my jaw -- it didn't hurt, and I didn't think much of it.
A few years ago, I can specifically remember eating an apple, out-of-hand, and that was the beginning of a much-worsened situation: aches and soreness.
One year ago, my jaw was so sore that I couldn't comfortably open wide enough to eat sushi, couldn't bite down into a sandwich, and had a fairly constant level of pain whether my jaw was moving or not.

Dentists and orthodontists told me not to eat tough food like beef jerky, not to chew gum, to do jaw exercises with a warm towel, and to wear a mouth guard at night (because I "must be" a grinder). I even went so far as to get the name of a specialist an hour and a half away, because I felt no relief from all the other suggestions. And then I was diagnosed with my AN.

I found out about my AN about 11 months ago and did a little preliminary research on my own before meeting with doctors for its treatment. I was surprised to see that my tumor and my perceived TMJ pain were pretty close to each other (and both on the right side only). How could they NOT be related? But when I asked each doctor that I met with if the AN and TMJ could be related, each said "no."

Ok, then. I decided to deal with the AN first, and take on the TMJ later.

But guess what? Ever since I had my CK treatment, my TMJ has been gradually improving, and I have changed nothing else. I've asked myself if I could have possibly been grinding my teeth out of stress at the notion of my treatment & recovery but have now stopped -- but that wouldn't account for the pain that I had before I knew I had an AN. I can't explain it, really. (Plus, I don't think I'm a grinder.)

My tumor isn't any smaller, and of course it's still there. Is it less alive? Less....."involved"?

Perhaps the growing tumor was the worsening of the TMJ all these years, and now that it's stopped growing, my TMJ is lessening? But the doctors said they weren't related....

Anyway...like I said, I'm 6 months into my recovery (actually 7, now) and -- I had a sandwich for lunch today, without even thinking about it! My jaw feels better, almost normal. My tumor has been treated. Life is good.

If any of you have similar TMJ experiences or theories, I'd love to hear them!
It's the craziest thing.

Take care,

sunny
 

[rupert]

I had the exact same experience.  I did a lot of research on TMJ and ended up going to the dentist who was going to put me in touch with a TMJ specialist.  It was soon after that I was diagnosed with the AN.
It was painful at times and I couldn't open my mouth very wide. It was a frequent occurrence and was quite bothersome.  After GK treatment I have not had any issues with TMJ. I think it must be something with the facial nerve causing the pain but, why it went away immediately after treatment is a real mystery

[sandyinwisconsin]

I was going to a chiropractor for TMJ just prior to my diagnosis of the AN.  I had radiation for my tumor, and now my TMJ is no longer a problem, but I think TMJ is stress related and/or caused from an injury to the jaw.  Even before my AN diagnosis, I was undergoing a lot of stress.  I had nightmares at night and would catch myself grinding my teeth.  My face and jaw were  tense during the day. Within the past two yeas my stress has gone down tremendously and my TMJ symptoms are gone. 

Not a day goes by when I don't wonder what caused my AN.  There has to be a common link with us.  The doctors write it off as a DNA malfunction, but I don't know if I buy that.  I wouldn't be surprised if they are caused from a virus or some sort of allergic reaction. 

Sandy

[john1455]

I am a retired dentist and treated TMD (a more accurate term than TMJ) for over 20 years (since 1984) and accumulated over 900 advance continuing education hours in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ disorders. In my professional opinion, there is no correlation between ANs and TMJ disorders and the improved symptoms many of you are experiencing is strictly coincidental.

There are basically 2 types of TMJ disorders - primary and secondary. The most common one is due to an internal derangement (an anatomical problem that makes the jaw not work correctly) and is a primary TMD. The second type is due to a muscle problem and is called MPD or Myofascial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome. Most dentists (especially traditional orthodontists) do NOT know much about TMD and often perpetuate myths regarding the condition (like TMD being caused by stress and/or grinding). These 2 things do NOT cause TMD but just aggravates an existing condition.

A jaw clicks and pops because a structure called the articular disk (aka meniscus) is being forced out of place whenever teeth come together and pops back into place when the mouth is opened. Most people (and some dentists) think that the dislocation takes place when the mouth opens but the popping sound is actually a sign that the jaw joint is going back into place (called reduction) and they erroneously try to limit their mouth opening to prevent the jaw joint from "dislocating." The fact of the matter is the TMJ (the jaw joint and not the condition) is already dislocated when the teeth are together and the mouth closed.

The most common causes of TMD due to an internal derangement are deep bites (aka over closure of the jaws), Class II jaws (a lower jaw that sits too far back), bad bites, and having premolars extracted when traditional orthodontics was done). When the articular disk dislocates, it is like squeezing a watermelon seed between your fingers; the disk pops forward in a similar way. The constant dislocation and popping back into joint of the disk when the mouth opens and closes causes stress and strain on the jaw joint and the muscles and ligaments attached to it and this leads to muscle spasms and pain leading to a condition called musculoskeletal disorders. This is what grinding and clenching makes worse in people with TMD and is a secondary TMD. In primary TMD, there is something wrong with the way the jaw joint works and it will remain that way until it is fixed. In secondary TMJ, the jaw joint is normal to begin with but is made to work incorrectly due to muscle problems. Once the muscle problems are addressed, the jaw joint returns to its normal state (in secondary TMD). This is the perception most dentists have of the TMJ, which is wrong because the most common TMJ disorder is due to a structural problem (which can be corrected) and not a muscular one.

So in a nutshell, there is no direct connection between ANs and TMD. Some of the same nerves may be affected (acoustic nerve, for example) but both entities are totally separate and unrelated.

For those who may be interested, mouthguards or splints work because they keep the upper and lower jaws from coming together so as not to cause the disk to be forced out of joint. The thickness of the plastic between the teeth temporarily "corrects" the structural deficiency that exists within the jaw joint. That is why only a dentist can truly correct TMD problems and not chiropractors (they can only treat the symptoms).

[sunny]

Rupert and Sandy, thank you both for writing. It's interesting that we had similar experiences, and I'm glad that you're both feeling relief from your TMJ!

John1455, thanks for your thorough explanation! That is all very interesting. I appreciate the time that you took to write. I can now understand that it must be a coincidence, and you have also provided me with a much better explanation of what has actually been going on with my jaw. ("premolars extracted when traditional orthodontics was done" -- that's me)

It's also good to know who to go and see if I ever feel that I need to pursue treatment in the future.
Thanks again very much for the information. I am printing and saving :-)

sunny

[DizzyMamaIL]

I've had jaw pain / stiffness for years! It isn't tmj since there's no locking or clicking involved at all and I always just assumed it was stress that caused me to 'set' my jaw and grind my teeth that caused the pain. Seeing your post made me wonder if there isn't some correlation.... With pain anyway.