TMJ follow up, can’t eat anything but soft foods

[Mstiles]

I posted Saturday about probable TMJ problem. My bite is off, my back teeth aren’t connecting, I can only chew with my front teeth, and as a result can’t really chew anything so have to eat only soft food.

It’s a little better this morning after a good nites sleep for once (amazing)

I’ve got a little pain in the joint area but mostly it feels swollen and stiff. Tinnitus bad too. Actually both jaws feel “tight”.

Got s call in to my dentist who isn’t covered by insurance. An ENT can see me next week. My GP May be quicker, not my favorite, but might be the way to go. She could refer me to physical therapy.

Knowing the strange ways GCA can present itself, could this be a symptom or related?

Last Wednesday I tapered from 18.75 to 17.50. Had some fleeting temple pain, which I didn’t have when diagnosed with GCA, I had occipital pain in the back of my head, neck pain, shoulder pain. I’m having some shoulder and neck stiffness but not bad, Tylenol helps.

So tired of having to call doctors and try to figure out what’s cAusing what and what to do about it!

Can this get better on its own? Dr Google says TMJ is yet another one of those amorphous frustrating diseases with no standard treatment or cure.

Thank you for your responses.

[SnazzyD]

Hello,

I’m not an expert, but it does seem to me that the fact your teeth don’t fit and the bite is wonky suggests that some other problem is the cause either instead of or as well as the GCA right now. If the jaw is out of alignment it can produce pain in wider areas of the head too, so it’s all a bit of a pickle. I wasn’t aware that GCA causes mechanical problems with the jaw, other than making the chewing muscle tired from lack of blood flow. Just as well you are seeking help. I hope you see the right person.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

No idea - have never had it thank goodness. But it does need to be checked out to be sure there isn't anything else involved.

[Matty662]

Hello there,

I suffer from tmj disorder and have the same symptoms as you. The jaws feeling tight is a typical symptom And may mean that you’re suffering from bruxism. This is teeth grinding at night.

You said the back teeth aren’t connecting and that you can only chew on you’re front teeth. I’m no expert but this indicates to me that you do indeed suffer from teeth grinding. Teeth grinding pulls your jaw joints out of place. The best thing to do is to see your dentist and maybe they can do a scan and examine your bite.

Best of luck

[Mstiles in reply to Matty662]

Thanks for your reply.

The TMJ is better now. Not painful but the bite is still a bit off and I can hear noises sometimes when I open my mouth. I did have a scan which showed a completely torn miniscus. I need a night hard and haven’t been to the dentist, too expensive!

I’m hoping to see a TMJ dentist to see what precautions I should take when visiting the dentist for cleaning and check up....afraid to open my mouth too wide as I’ve read this can cause problems.