#What Doctor For Tmj

[cass-ass]

I think as our society has become more sedentary and Fascia in everyone's body has become an issue that is causing back pain, shoulder pain, etc this list needs to be more out there.

Myofascial massage can do a LOT for pain management.

I have had people come to be after 10 years of going to doctors and within 1 appointment I helped their pain more than any doctor- not because I am more competent, but because I had the right tools to help.

Most TMJ issues, sciatica, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, and more can be helped if not fixed with myofascial massage and it is generally cheaper to get regular massage than it is to continually go to the doctor for something that they are unequipped to handle.

The ONLY time those are issues that a doctor can handle better than a myofascial massage therapist is when there is a structural nerve impingement, such as your spine or hips pinching your sciatic nerve. Otherwise it is likely just your soft tissue restriction causing the pain.

And soft tissue restriction wont be helped with a pill or a surgery- and sometimes surgeries can actually make it WORSE.

So please- if you have a chronic pain disorder look for a Myofascial Massage Therapist in your area.

Also DRINK WATER. Dehydration makes connective tissue restriction worse!

[wewontbesleeping]

I remember reading this thing as a kid that was like “it’s as easy to bite through a human finger as a carrot, your mind just won’t let you do it”, and I was instantly like. That’s absolute bullshit. I’m 10 and I know that’s not true. Watch me prove it by attempting to bite my own fingers off. And guess what? It fucking hurt. But I still have all my fingers. Anyways, I’m stressed because of my math course rn and I was stuck on a particularly nasty set of problems, and I kept thinking “just fucking bite off your fingers and it will all go away”. And I wish I could

[wisherbysharlight]

It took me nearly 15 years to get my endometriosis diagnosis and comprehensive treatment, but I recognize I’m super privileged in being able to access care where I live from one of the top doctors in endometriosis research(specifically endometriosis in adolescents, but his research spans all age groups). I want to share some of the things I learned, along with study sources he linked me to, so others can advocate to their providers for the care they need. So without further ado:

✨ What I Wish I Knew About Endometriosis 15 Years Ago ✨

No amount of pain is “normal”

Don’t get gaslit into thinking “everyone” who has periods goes through pain. Seek treatment - you deserve better.

Diagnosis/treatment is kinda a pain, even with a doc who takes you seriously

The general course of action for diagnosis/treatment will be attempt treatment through OTC painkillers (Tylenol, Midol, etc), attempt at least 1-2 forms of hormonal birth control(typically oral contraceptive/birth control pill or the ring/patch/shot), then decide with your doctor whether to pursue either further hormone treatments, such as GnRH(which suppress estrogen/can help stop progression of endo) or an IUD, and/or surgical intervention where they go in and find/remove the existing lesions.

Surgery for me took a couple hours, and I had an IUD placed during the operation(at recommendation of my doc). Full recovery was around 2 weeks. Its worth noting right now you can technically only be diagnosed through surgery.

You may have to mix-and-match to find the right solution.

Only 33% of people with endometriosis in a recent controlled study saw significant improvement by IUD alone, as compared to IUD with supplementary hormonal treatment(like oral birth control or hormone inhibitors). Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1083318812002379

Some options may actually make it worse. Keep an eye on your symptoms.

Studies show that estrogen based treatments can potentially exacerbate endometriosis and promote endometrial growth, so treatments without estrogen or with specific types of estrogen are more recommended. Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5683134/

Its Got Hella Comorbidities

Fibromyalgia, scoliosis, arthritis, thyroid disease, migraines, chronic fatigue, and bowel disease(IBS, crohn’s, celiac, etc), and more are all potential associations/comorbitities. It’s also worth noting that having any of these in your family history may also put you at higher risk for endo. As my doc said - you’re not guaranteed to get all, or even any, of these, but they’re things to keep an eye out for. Sources:

IBS: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9357916/

IBD/Crohns: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32629225/

Celiac: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24992792/

Thyroid: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10234359/

Migraine: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38436302/

Painful Bladder Syndrome: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3015716/

EDS: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002937824001637

Arthritis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35258592/

Scoliosis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9238674/

TMJ: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10144081/

Kidney Stones: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9108729/

POTS: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3413773/

Fibromyalgia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30682223/

Chronic Fatigue: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6537603/

Sjogren’s Syndrome: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39083399/

Bonus Advice

No published studies exist showing any increase/decrease of symptoms between usage of different menstrual products. Do whatever makes you most comfortable!

For OTC pain management, Tylenol or Aleve may be your best bets over Advil, based on their anti-inflammatory nature.

He also recommended probiotics pretty heavily, since digestive issues(ie bad period poops) are super common. Any with >10Bn active cultures are good!

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, just someone that learned a lot and wants to share)

[thebibliosphere]

so wait if my long covid & dysautonomia cause a lot of dizziness/vertigo then that would explain why i've apparently started clenching my jaw a lot since i got ill? why does no one ever tell us these things!!!

do you know if there's something that can be done about it or do i just tell my dentist it is what it is next time they complain about the jaw clenching?

(also thank you so much for talking about these things and sharing your knowledge and experience, you've taught me more about my chronic illnesses than all my doctors combined, seriously!)

Likely because they don’t know. The only reason I know is because I’ve been researching what the hell has been wrong with me my entire life and sometimes the specialists I see drop things into conversations like it’s common knowledge. They’re usually surprised when I tell them no, actually, most people even in their own field of medicine aren’t always aware of things like the jaw clenching or the pretzel sitting.

As for what can be done: I do multiple types of physical rehab to combat mine, including vestibular focused PT and PT for my TMJ to ease the pain and damage being done to the face muscles. They’ve been helpful for me.

Also getting the dysautonomia better controlled can help relieve the need to clench the jaw but I know that’s not an easy task depending on your severity.

Good luck on your continued health journey and hopeful recovery 💖

[creations-by-chaosfay]

Are your scissors dull? Would you like tips regarding sewing needles?

If you're having a difficult time cutting through material, your scissors likely need sharpening. There are two ways I've used for this, and they're both very effective.

The semi-free version:

Take aluminum foil, a long sheet of it, and fold this into about four layers.

Cut through all four layers, in thin strips, with your scissor. I make the strips less than half an inch apart, and cut the long way. You will need to be careful because the edges of the foil will be sharp.

After you get through all four layers at least six to eight times, fold what's left of the sheet in half. This will create eight layers, cut through these until the sheet is gone.

Test your scissors by cutting through scraps. I've made children's scissors sharp enough to cut through four layers of fabric when I use this method.

The inexpensive version.

Purchase this. You can find it in fabric stores, craft stores, and even a department store (like Walmart) in their crafting supply section. I bought mine at Joann Fabrics, when they had a sale, for less than $8.

Scissor sharpeners are super easy to use. Just follow the instructions they come with. Basically, you slide them in, and pull them out like you're cutting.

You won't need to do many passes for most scissors, but you will make children's scissors very dangerous.

For very small scissors, like applique or embroidery types.

Use the semi-free section.

You will only need two layers for the first pass, not nearly as much as you would for larger blades. So make the sheet smaller.

After five or six passes, fold the layers in half for four layers. Make several more passes.

Test your scissors to see how sharp they are. If unsatisfied, make more passes through the foil layers.

I hope this was helpful!

For hand-sewing sharpening needles, the little strawberry attached to the tomato pincushions serves that purpose. Stab your needle through that a few times. I find it works only so many times before I simply need to switch to a new one.

As for machine sewing needles, sharpening them borders on pointless. I suggest using Organ Needles if price is a big issue for you. My experience with Organ Needles has been phenomenal. The low price and high count, and the fact they last just as long as the name brand stuff you find in supply shops is just a bonus.

I have a pack of 100 sewing needles for less than $30. Compare that to the $10-$20 a package of five or ten name brand needle packs cost. Even if half the needles in my 100 pack start dull, it's still less than what I would otherwise pay. Thus far, this hasn't happened.

My needles go dull swiftly when I do any foundation paper piecing, stitching through fabric and paper, and paper dulls scissors* real quick. Imagine how fast that is with a needles, making hundreds of stitch through all those layers. If I notice the stitches look messy, I switch out my needle. I still have over half left, and have been using the same pack for around a year now.

If you're wondering how to dispose of the used sewing needles, may I suggest a plastic bubblegum container? I used to chew gum all the time, but had to stop after my doctor explained it's very bad due to my TMD/TMJ (and having hEDS also explains why large pieces of gum would dislocate my jaw). Because of my habit of keeping perfectly acceptable containers, I had two empty ones. One is used for my handsewing, like a little trash container. Opening and closing the floor models is irritating, and the fact I have a cat means all trashcans in this house must have a lid. Anyway...I use my second to hold used needles, broken or bent pins, and after four years of using this, the thing isn't even a quarter of the way filled. It'll likely be decades before emptying it will be necessary. The hard plastic edges make it impossible for any of the pointy ends from puncturing, thus making it safe for all and no trash bags will suffer.

[aam-papad]

Orthopedic was not available today due to republic day so I had to go to local doctor but I genuinely didn't wanted to go to him because he gives off creepy vibes so I tried to fix it myself while waiting in turn and succeeded 💀💀

My fucking jaw dislocated again. I'm so tired of my body

[holysh1ft]

christ i just had the most wonderful and magical meditation experience. wowza. i cannot even put it into words. im feeling so limitless and free these days.

i almost healed all my nerve damage, and i really didn’t do anything intentional around it. it just kinda cleared up on its own. i was literally up at 3 am for nights in a row frantically researching thinking i had scabies or some shit cuz i couldn’t go to the doctor and figure out what was goin on. it was absolute hell, i tell you. 0/10 sensory experience. i wanted to set my skin on fire some days, but im so grateful to be 100000x better. lungs are good too. my tmj is healing also.

i saw the live action HTTYD this week, and i might have to take a page from @happylildragon and make a HTTYD DR cuz it’s such a vibe!! idk!! shifting feels more and more real the more i meditate tbh. im just floating in the sea of the infinite. i really just see my DRs as like… different sim worlds or something lmao.

i just know my life is about to explode in every area, and that’s not me hoping and waiting and pleading with some perceived outside power like i was before. maybe i finally understand enough and then it’ll work. 🥺 no, none of that. there’s nothing to figure out anymore. it’s just pure being and knowing.

i think a lot these days how im literally a different person than i was before. it’s amazing. i feel so free. can’t wait to update yall again. there’s good stuff brewing.

[toothtalk]

Ive had three dentists tell me I was doing fine, my teeth look good, and there wasn’t anything they could do for my teeth/gum pain for going on a year and a half now. But the pain is really severe and hasn’t gone away, and they just haven’t been offering me solutions. Is there really nothing anyone can do for gum pain? Aspirin/tylenol haven’t helped, orajel doesn’t help - one dentist gave me some topical numbing solution from their office even, and that doesn’t help. I’ve started thinking about how I’d like to have my teeth out, it’s hurting so bad so frequently, but the dentists say everything looks good???

Is there any different language I’m missing that could better communicate what’s going on? Or get different answers? Is this really what life is now? Do people just have constant pain if their enamel is bad or they have some receded gums or they grind their teeth? Is this just the level of pain people deal with without and visual indicators of tooth/gum decay?

first off i just want to apologize for the delay in answering my asks! i've been really running on fumes lately, and it's important to me that i give your questions the proper care and attention to detail when i answer them. i'm glad to be on the other side of some hard stuff and back in the space to help you all on this blog!

now anon, i am so sorry you're going through this. tooth pain is miserable and it's incredibly frustrating to have been unable to identify a cause. i have a few suggestions on how to have the conversation with your next dentist that might help point you towards some answers:

usually, your general dentist is going to be looking for things like cavities, periodontal disease, and things like cracks and abscesses as causes of pain. beyond that, a lot of general dentists have a relatively limited scope of knowledge. what's important is that you explain very clearly that you are in severe pain, and that if they can't help you, you need to see someone who can. a reasonable provider should be able to write you a referral to a specialist who can do further diagnostics. it sounds as though the providers you've seen haven't been sympathetic to what you're experiencing, and for that i am truly sorry.

there are a lot of things that could cause that kind of pain, so it can be hard to narrow down what kind of specialist you'd need to see. it could be that your enamel has weakened or gums have receded to the point of dentin exposure, which is the very sensitive inner part of your tooth. i have this problem on a couple teeth, and it really does not feel good. prescription strength toothpaste and extra fluoride treatments can help strengthen the enamel and reduce some of that sensitivity if that's the case. i get particularly bad sensitivity on my right front tooth, and when it flares up i dab a bit of my high-fluoride toothpaste on it dry, and it helps to relieve it some.

it could be a TMJ related issue. some people grind their teeth excessively, especially at night, which can cause wear and pain all over the mouth. so, you might ask about a night guard or a referral to a TMJ specialist.

i've seen a handful of patients with trigeminal neuralgia and other nerve-related issues that cause sudden, severe pain in their face and mouth. nerve disorders are generally diagnosed by medical doctors, not dentists, so that might be a route to pursue as well. if you see a medical doctor about it, i would get copies of the records from the dentists you've seen showing that there were no indications of tooth or gum issues, so that they know that's already been ruled out as a cause.

long-term tooth and gum pain can also be an indicator of certain autoimmune conditions or vitamin deficiencies, so your doctor might suggest a blood panel to test for things like that. the fact that topical pain relief didn't help at all might suggest that the cause is something more systemic, but unfortunately i don't know much about that area of medicine, so i wouldn't want to lead you astray with my lack of education on that front.

i really hope the next dentist you see is more compassionate and willing to help you solve this problem rather than dismissing you. i've been fighting the same fight with medical doctors and my joint pain for years now, so i know how demoralizing it can be. please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions about what you find out going forward!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition.Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[secretlythepits]

It’s 5:07. Enough of pretending

I can sleep. I can’t.

I am thrown into the wilderness of how will we survive? My brain has been having so many troubles lately. The night before last my husband slept on the couch in hopes that I could get some solid sleep. I did. It was great. It helped my brain. But then last night, with his pain and the growing dread it brings, I woke in pain and am too distraught to fall back to sleep.

I am moorless.

The beginning of this week had me exercising and creatine loading. I was going to fight this weight gain and my body felt better with the exercise. Then, in mid week, my brain issues just got to be too much. I wasn’t able to focus. I had seizures, was back to my legs giving out. Now this— I don’t see any hope. This is the timeline.

“In 4-6 months unless something changes, you will be in some serious trouble.”

That’s how the doctor phrased it. It is 4 months and despite all the effort, I don’t think his treatment has worked at all.

I am terrified financially.

It’s hard to think of managing that on top of grief. It’s hard to see people supporting my new business. The emergency plan relied upon using money from investments— the stock market tumble makes that so, so bad.

My husband goes up for scans on Monday. He is dreading it. I can’t go with him because I have another dentist appointment. It’s just scans, but I’m afraid he will be fighting demons. I have to find out if I need another root canal. It’s hard to say what’s going on in my mouth since my tmj is so active.

Now I’m going to search fruitlessly for information on more radiation. I know only the doctor can say, but it’s 5 am Saturday morning. I need to find something to hold on to.

[yoccu]

Time for my regularly scheduled post about breathing and stretching apparently. Because I think a really important thing about stretching that I rarely seen talked about is the role of breathing.

TLDR: When stretching try to focus on fully and slowly exhaling DURING the stretch, this is what allows them to actually stretch best. If they’re particularly sore apply ice DURING the stretch as it will allow the stretch to not cause inflammation. I’ve had like five physical therapists tell me this is all accurate but if it sucks for you don’t do it. Many ways to exist in this world are real and I’m not your doctor.

When I started working on my breathing while doing stretches bc I have chronic and pretty severe muscle stiffness in my neck and shoulders that has caused TMJ and migraines for decades, I didn’t realize for a long time I wasn’t breathing like. Normally? I also have pretty constant CPTSD symptoms and I think this was one of them, a subconscious CONSTANT rigidity and inability to relax that crossed into being Medically Significant. I’ve had MULTIPLE physical therapists insist for MINUTES that I was “not relaxing” when I thought it wasn’t possible to relax any further. I figured this out eventually.

Anyway when I’d start working on my breathing like six years ago I’d notice it would like. Catch and feel weird. A lot. Idk what made me realize but eventually I realized I was inhaling deeply but NOT exhaling deeply. So I just always had like too much breath???

So I started doing that “blow out of a straw” kind of breathing because I realized I couldn’t rely on the SENSATION of exhaling to be accurate. That method meant when I stopped feeling air leaving my mouth I was actually done exhaling and it took like. Five times longer or something it’s nuts.

BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT because inhaling and exhaling relate to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems! And if I recall correctly, your muscles relax on the EXHALE.

This is why sometimes if I can’t stretch I literally just sit with my back straight but not rigid and just focus on my posture being self sustaining WHILE relaxing every muscle as best I can. Breathing very deeply and slowly the whole time. It makes a HUGE difference. I did this for like MONTHS before incorporating stretches and exercises when I first started out.

But I can’t stress enough, focusing on breath is the best way to get the most out of stretching, and also stretching for a LONGER time and MORE GENTLY. When you want to stretch some elastic you don’t just tug it a few times and go that’s good enough! Even the mildest stretch held for two or three REALLY deep slow breaths is better than a bigger stretch for less time. Some days I can barely tip my head to the side but I hold it there for a minute or so and over that time I can FEEL the muscle letting up just a little. And that’s exactly the progress you want! Too much progress at once and you’ll cause all sorts of pain and pain is basically backwards progress to your physical body. It wants to avoid that even if your brain is thinking no pain no gain. You can’t help your body by working against it.

So that’s my PSA! Remember to breathe while stretching. If that is difficult, literally just practice breathing fully and deeply in and out (to your ability! I get that ppl have breathing problems and you’ll know yourself better than I can) and then add stretches to that. I’ve lived through a looooot of different physical issues where almost invariably being able to breathe deeply in order to trigger relaxation has helped tremendously. It’s a great skill especially if you have really bad anxiety that affects how you breathe (which was my case and I didn’t even know it until like. My late 20s.)

Also if the therapy breathing techniques don’t work for you don’t worry they don’t fucking work for me either LOL. I figured out what does work for me (the straw breathing so I can feel and hear when I’ve inhaled and exhaled completely) and it’s way better for me that counting in my head which has often made my anxiety much worse.

I’m inspired to stretch before I draw now so that’s a net positive anyway

[obscure-imaginations]

I can see you have been asking for some requests. I love Kain so much, so I was wondering how he would be during giving comfort especially to his human with chronic illnesses such as TMJ (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) I've been struggling with for a while now. Can be both SFW and NSFW if that's okay, or one or other other, I don't mind :3

Hello! I know of IBS, but I did some research into TMJ to help fully get the feel. If anything is incorrect, I do apologize. I definitely get you, chronic illness is a demon, and not in the nice wraith-y way.

SFW, cut for space. Caution for mentions of gore (Melchiahim) and Kain being a villain in the standard Kain way. Gods, I love him but his spacial awareness is... lacking.

Kain, in usual fashion, doesn't get it. Are humans really this fragile? After some research and listening to his human describe their experiences, he gets angry. What kind of existence is that? If the Melchiahim have problems with their jaws, they can sew on a new one. A joint doesn't move right, they can pick a human's who does and take it. If their guts don't work, cut them out and let them regrow. It's painful, sure, but at least it has a solution! (No one tell him the reality yet, he's only just now learning that people exist outside of himself.)

The worst part is that he knows he can't do anything about it. He's a man of action, so sitting around and not finding permanent solutions bothers him. He hates that his human has to suffer. He can't beat the problem into submission or debate it to death so he feels useless.

Once his human sits him down and explains how he can help, he follows instructions... as best he can. He makes sure you take any medicine on time. He ensures you're doing what the doctors and physical therapists say. He takes you to appointments and is quite diligent about making sure you're taking care of yourself. He can be overbearing and sometimes demanding, so don't be afraid to set him straight. He's learning that he actually *does* want to help.

For temporomandibular joint dysfunction in particular, he laments he can't massage the muscles without fear of clawing your face apart. He'll get any custom mouth guards for you, if they help. He tries his best to help with food if chewing is painful, helping soften it when he cooks for you- yes, he's a vampire with no need to eat human things, but he enjoys it as a hobby. Now he gets to put that hobby to use!

Including IBS symptoms! He'll work with you to find whatever dishes taste the best and don't irritate your symptoms. He's not afraid to get taste testers of... lesser value to ensure his methods work correctly. Then he presents what he has and prays you'll be okay. He helps get medicines to keep flare ups down. He talks to healers and has herbs for you to try.

All in all, he wants to help and does his best to do so.

[thestalkerbunny]

Well. Time to go to the Doctor to see if they can do ANYTHING at all for my TMJ pain or they'll just call me a stupid clown again and tell me to 'Keep doing what you're doing' (taking the max amount of recommended advil.)

[legobabyofficial]

so this year I've been making a point to catch up on the healthcare I was denied as a kid and teen. and every time it gives me a bad PTSD flareup. I got my bottom wisdom teeth out yesterday and even though the procedure was fine (aside from some billing bullshit that's not worth getting into) I have been depressed all day thinking about how this should have been done ten years ago. Thinking about how I have had migraines and sinus issues and TMJ because I never got them out until now. My mom said I "didn't deserve" healthcare as a kid and every time I take care of myself I feel like I'm sinning. She wouldn't take me to the dentist she wouldn't take me to the doctor she wouldn't take me to a therapist she wouldn't take me to any adult who may notice what was going on at home. She hobbled me to keep her own secrets. I hate her so much and it comes back in a red-hot wave every time I admit I deserved better

[halogalopaghost]

Slightly related to my last post but I've started thinking of dentists the way ppl think about chiropractors and it's Changed My Life. They're also Not Medical Doctors (not REALLY anyway) and don't have any business advising you on what to do for general health. Including but not limited to diet, lifestyle, vaccines, and medications.

Brought to you by:

The dentist who told my mom I had cavities at 3 because she kissed me on the mouth

The dentist who told my sister to never eat between meals and only have water (she struggles with hypoglycemia)

The dentist who told my OTHER sister that she should discontinue antidepressants which LITERALLY saved her life because they Might Cause Cavities

Also never let a dentist pull a healthy tooth because of pain until you see an ENT (ear nose throat Dr) because 9 times out of 10 that's referred sinus pain, babey. The nine and a half time is TMJ dysfunction. That last .5 percent of the time is a dental abscess which they should be x-raying for before operating anyway.

This has been a "fuck dentists" post do not derail or I'll kill you with my hands (block you)

[toothtalk]

hey so I’ve been seeing a lot of dentists since I’m having weird pain and they’re??? Saying my mouth looks great and fine? They suspect it might be gum pain rather than tooth pain, and they suggested I floss and pick up antiseptic mouth watch because of receding gums and pockets.

I grind my teeth, so my incisors are down to the dentin, but the pain isn’t localized there and can originate anywhere. It spreads to my whole mouth, it’s enough that I start drooling and feel queasy, it’s *very* noticeable. But I feel like I’m overreacting because of how just. Not concerned with it two dentist offices have been?

I ended up telling my primary doctor about it and they’re trying to send a referral to uhh either an endo or orthodonist or something to see if they have some ideas, but the referral needs my X-rays. I’m just worried they’ll reject me because my X-rays look fine and there’s nothing actually wrong.

Are there non-dental things that make teeth/gums hurt? Are there really no other solutions for tooth pain besides fluoride 2% toothpaste? I’m water picking and brushing multiple times a day trying to get relief, I can’t have sugar or acid anymore without hurting. Everything sucks real bad.

i'm so sorry you're dealing with this anon, it sounds miserable. there's a few things i can think of that might be contributing factors to your tooth pain that are worth asking your dentist or pcp about. if you're a grinder, i would definitely look into getting a mouth guard. this will protect your teeth from wearing down any more than they already have. you can get over-the-counter ones for relatively cheap, but the most effective ones you can get are custom fitted guards from your dentist. they can be pricey, but they'll be much more comfortable and stronger than the ones you get at the drugstore. you can also ask for a referral to a TMJ specialist, and they may be able to do more advanced treatment.

an endodontist or orthodontist shouldn't reject your case just because of your x-rays. they can take different kinds of images than a general dentist can, looking at your jaw and bone positioning, and the nerves of your teeth. there's definitely a chance that they will find something your dentist didn't.

if your dentist noticed gum recession and deeper pockets, they may suggest more frequent or different types of cleanings, and that can make a huge difference in your pain as well. if they haven't, it might be worth seeking a second opinion from another provider. gum disease, even in its very early stages, can cause some pretty significant pain in some people, so it's definitely possible that you may be dealing with that. if that's the case, getting it under control should help reduce the pain you're experiencing.

i did also answer a similar ask recently; there's some information there that might be helpful too.

my practice recently started offering whitening treatments that come with desensitizing gel to use in between treatments. you may ask your dentist if they would sell you just the desensitizing formula. if they don't, it does look like amazon has something similar that you can buy on your own, but it's likely a lower concentration of ingredients than what dental practices have available, and the trays won't be custom-fit.

i hope this helps, and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions!!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. This does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Information on this blog should NOT be used for diagnostics or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified dental health provider regarding diagnosis and treatment of a dental condition.Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

[secretlythepits]

Hmmm

Husband is spending the day in bed. He isn’t feeling sick, just tired. It is very out of character for him to rest all day. In fact, it has never happened except when he was feeling very sick. He’s not even watching tv.

Yesterday he got winded moving his massage table not very far. I told him to have one of our boys move it and he did. Normally, he would have said, don’t be ridiculous and done it himself.

Y’all are probably thinking, duh, Rebecca. He has stage 4 cancer! But it’s just so uncharacteristic of him. It’s jarring to see him like this. He’s regular, just weak and tired, which is not who he is.

Is this his cancer progressing?

Is it a side effect from his clinical trial drug? (Seems less likely to me due to the timing and not feeling other symptoms.)

People tell me, plan a trip, but we really don’t know if he will be too tired to enjoy or participate in activities.

My aunt, who is a nurse and was the point person during the cancer bouts my family endured, told me months ago that the end of life for people with lung tumors is not really painful, just tiring. They get less oxygen, but it’s not like gasping for air, just a need for an extra nap, and then another nap, and another.

I prepared myself for this and then his tumor grew into his spine throwing everything off. I freaked out because the idea of a painful death was just too awful. Are we back here? Is this temporary? He has rallied so many times before.

But he is so thin.

I know where we are in the timeline statistics gave me last year. The specific timeline his doctor gave him— well, he had additional radiation after that, so I’m sure that affected things. Now he’s on a stage 1 clinical trial; there is an inherent mystery in that, but the truth is, they rarely tip the scales.

Meanwhile, I e been having painful dental work and neuro symptoms. Something is off and I’m not sure what. That’s part of the reason I’m getting the dental work done, because that can affect the brain. Maybe it’s my thyroid. Maybe menopause. Maybe something else. I don’t feel like I’m stressed out. I feel mindful and managing things now. But I haven’t slept well in so long and my tmj is activated at night, which is causing a lot of these issues.

Last night I dreamt I was driving several different time. I was in the driver’s seat and we were moving, but I couldn’t see where I was going. The windshield was filthy. It was night. The car lights weren’t on. It was foggy. The car was still moving so I had to steer. I knew I needed to improve my visibility, but I couldn’t. It was like I didn’t know where the controls were. The car was swerving all over the road and I was afraid because it was dangerous. Still, I didn’t know how clear my line of sight. I careened my head to see the road through this one bit that was clear.

I repeated this driving scenario 3 different times throughout the night, each time getting more dangerous. I kept waking up jaw clenched.

I don’t know where I am going.