@carlover I have to agree with you that one should be skeptical of many TMJ specialists / dentists. Selling splints / mouthguards is a huge business and many are quick to get on you that bandwagon for obvious reasons.
However, one could say that about the entire healthcare industry and it's incumbent on us to do research and use our best judgement when choosing a treatment.
I have mild TMD and here's what I've learned so far:
- There is a broad spectrum of TMD - simple tension in the joint and surrounding muscles can be termed TMD.
- It's a long-term game, as you stated.
- You don't have to spend a ton of money - try exercises first, especially myofunctional ones that focus on the tongue. (see links to helpful exercises in a
previous post).
- Don't just workout / stretch the jaw and face. Also incorporate neck exercises.
- Splints do help, but it's very important you get this from a specialist you trust as it can screw up your bite and cause other problems.
- Don't ever believe a specialist that tells you "correcting" your bite is the key - in fact, this can be disastrous. Many parts of our bodies are asymmetrical and function just fine.
- You have to go into this understanding that you are solving more than one problem, even if it doesn't resolve the T. Otherwise, you will be disappointed.
Cheers,
Ignacio
Member
