TMJ and migraine

[Katya3]

Does anyone know anything about TMJ/TMD temporo-mandibular disorder and migraine. I have had migraine for many years but after a big filling 4 weeks ago developed an intermittent roving stabbing pain in the upper and lower jaw on the side that had the filling. My dentist has checked the filling and says it is Ok and the pain is only rarely on the tooth that had the filling but it is not getting any better. The dentist recommended a soft diet, massage and painkillers . After a couple of weeks of this I am now hungry and in pain - with no improvement in the jaw pain. My doctor says this is an issue for the dentist but the dentist does not seem to have any more advice to offer. Any suggestions please.

[helvella]

A number of years ago, I had severe stabbing pain around my left TMJ and across my face.

The things that helped were:

Tramadol - which seemed to allow me to continue despite pain.

Vitamin B12 which I tried for something else (tinnitus). Had no impact on my tinnitus but did affect my TMJ/pain. Was taking it up to a few times a day - usually 1000 microgram methylcobalamin tablets/lozenges. Indeed, if I didn't take any for a few days, I'd use it like most of us might take paracetamol - when needed like if I got a slight twinge. Amazingly, it did seem to help later the same day.

No idea if B12 has helped migraine or not.

[Cally01]

Hi, yup I have TMJD I had 4yrs of agonising migraines and jaw pain. I tried everything, I bought many contraptions that didn't work. Please go get BOTOX into your TMJ. Google where you have injections for TMJ and you'll see the best sights. I have 3 injections every 3 months by a dentist .

[Cat00]

I have TMJ or Bruxism at least which I have a mouth guard for. I wear it at night but my dentist recommends it's worn during the day as well particularly if your stressed. I've had it for for 15 years or so, it does save your teeth although it only reduces jaw pain rather rids it.

I was advised that botox can be hard to get because the NHS doesn't like it, if you're in the UK, because if they get the botox in the wrong place it can stop you being able to swallow which means you end up having to be in intensive care until it wears off. I've no idea how likely this is but my dentist doesn't recommend it for this reason.

[Francesca21]

I dont have experience of it but a v bad dentist gave me a root canal i didnt need and ended up in months of pain whilst he “chased pain around the mouth “and losing two teeth. Ended up at a dental hospital where a consultant couldnt believe id allowed him to carry on. My advice would be to see if there is a dental hospital somewhere reachable to you and get a referral as you could well be of interest to their students and their consultants may know how best to treat/ advise. And tramadol is amazing. Good luck

[Chleo11]

Hello Katya. I'm sorry to read that you are in pain since having some dental work done. It sounds that the nerve in the tooth got irritated and may be still irritated from the filling. The filling could possibly be too close to the nerve or it is just a matter of time before it calms down. It could be that the whole tooth has developped microscopic cracks because of the drilling and that goes down to the tooth's nerve and then all the way up to the trigeminal nerve, which feeds back to the upper/lower jaw and triggers migraines (if that sounds surprising to you, I had microscopic cracks on one tooth after a filling and was in pain on and off for the best part of 25 years. All of these because the cracks couldn't be seen on the Xrays. The pain disappeared after the tooth was taken out, so no neuralgia like they were trying to tell me). All of these could be simply temporary because it sounds like your trigger points in the jaw have been made reactive by the irritated nerves and they in turn cause you pain.

Have you tried things like this painkilling gels to apply on sore teeth? Or simply putting a whole clove on the tooth? If the pain gets better then I would think you've got your answer.

Good luck!

[Katya3]

Thanks everyone for all the helpful comments. Two weeks on the rigid jaw is more flexible as a result of heatpads, soft food (pureed baked beans, milk with honey and baked apple and custard) and rest. A root canal filling eventually resolved the irritated nerve - which wouldn't have been irritated if the dentist hadn't tried a deep filling in the first place - though accepting the decay shown on the Xray would have got to it eventually. I am changing my dentist to one who shows awareness of TMJ and even if I hadn't had TMJ I wuold be changing because I feel as if I was treated as a series of problems not a person with no discussion of possible options or how one issue might interact with another. Don't know if COVID or commercialism was to blame for poor service but I thought it was a classic example of you have a chronic problem which we can't solve - go away and don't bother us.

[Katya3 in reply to Katya3]

PS the cats absolutelyt loved custard and would like it every day please