Hearing Aid/TMJ???

[SharonN]

I'm a watch and wait with an AN less than 2.  Naturally I have diminished hearing in the affected ear, so decided to buy a good hearing aid ($2100!!!)  When I put it on (it's an outside thing with a little tube that goes in the ear) sounds were amplified, which is good of course, though I still have some trouble with speech discrimination.  BUT--and here's a big BUT--for some strange reason I have terrible pains in my lower teeth.  I was checked out by my dentist, and my teeth are fine.  It feels like I'm getting electric shocks when I move my jaw certain ways (especially when eating, no matter what side I'm eating on).  My audiologist says that I'm the first person she's seen with the problem.  Has anyone else experienced this?

[Dealy]

SharonN. i am going to give you my experience-it may be what you are dealing with. I had radiation over a year and a half to a 2.5CM AN in my right ear. Now I know you do not have radiation-but after a year and a couple of months I started getting electric shocks in my face when I talked or ate. At first they were small but progressed to severe. Turned out (check my spelling here) that I have Trigemineal Neurgilia. This is damage too the facial nerve which I had before radiation. It is being controlled by Neurontin which stops nerve impulses. I see a local neurologist for this condition. It got so bad I could not touch or brush my teeth or gums. You might want too check into this but will probably need to see a neurologist to confirm. Best Wishes- Ron

[SharonN]

Thanks, Ron.  I'm waiting a week to put the hearing aid in again since I suspect it of pressing on some nerve that is causing the pain.  I have until Feb 2 to decide if I want to keep it.  I do hear better with it, but if it's causing TMJ than fuggedaboudit.   And I hate to take any medication unless I absolutely have to.  But it sounds feasible that it's the aid, since your experience shows that doing something in the ear area can definitely affect the jaw.

Was your pain only on one side?  Mine is localized to below the two lower molars area on my right side (both teeth have had root canals and don't even have nerves in them!) 

[Dealy]

SharonN; Entire side of right side of my face was affected but mostly under nose and lower lip on right side. When they were severe- I call them shooters or zappers-they would shoot all the way up too my forehead- felt like a small electrical current too your head-very painful. Doctor's explained that each side of the head has a Trigeminial nerve that wraps around the brain from the base of the skull and spans out over the face-exiting from temple area. if these nerves are irritiated or compromised it can cause mild too severe pain in the face-thus the electrical shocks. I also had a root canal on the right side. I still have very small zaps above the lip but they are minor compared to before. I need some dental work coming up and even changed Dentists because I am concerned that the Novacane will start it all over again. Hope you resolve your issue. I have a Hearing Aid also but it is not related to the TN. Thanks-Ron.