It Wasn't TMJ, It Was Just a Misaligned Jaw!

[FuzzyFrey]

I'm keen to know too since I have a bit of a dodgy jaw alignment I'm wearing a mouth piece for and developed noise in my left ear two months ago. It's a sort of low frequency T that fluctuates in volume and can be alleviated or gone completely if I suck my eardrum in. It returns to what it was before when I release the pressure again. Not sure if it is dental or eustacian tube related but it wouldn't surprise me!

 

[OceanSound]

That's really great to hear! I've actually really been wanting to visit my dentist myself, because I'm fairly certain that my T, at least partially is caused by Jaw trouble, possibly misalignment! Just moving my jaw/clenching can alter and even silence my tinnitus, so I'm sure certain there must be a connection. Not to mention the random soreness and horrid popping noises that I'm fairly certain aren't normal...

I also wore corrective braces(?)(Not sure what they're called, this things with the rubber bands to keep your jaw in place) as a child to fix an overbite, so I wonder if maybe it could be related.

Anyway, best of luck to you! I hope your dental visit brings promising results!

 

[eewilk01]

I went to another ENT and spoke to my orthodontist, along with my friend's father who is a retired Maxillofacial surgeon and they all seemed to think it was related to the intubation from my surgery messing with my TMJ. About a week ago the ringing subsided and had a few days without any noise and today, it's back! Very quiet, but it's there. Some days it fluctuates and almost sounds like waves of ringing. I feel (and hope) that it will eventually go away with more treatment of my TMJ and finishing my orthodontia treatment in 2015, but only time will tell....

The first ENT I saw didn't take a lot of time to look at my jaw, etc. and tried to persuade me to participate in the AM 101 trial. He is the only one administering the trial in my state. However, I am going to wait a little while longer before I make a decision on the trail to see if the ringing will go away.

On another note, this forum has been a godsend in helping with my anxiety over this ringing.

 

[derpytia]

Oh wow I may check this out with my dentist. My upper jaw is out of alignment with my lower one and the molars don't fit together correctly like they used to. I had braces on my upper teeth when I was in high school to fix the gap between my two front teeth. After that my jaw kinda got out of alignment. Maybe I should go check this out!

 

[attheedgeofscience]

The first ENT I saw didn't take a lot of time to look at my jaw, etc. and tried to persuade me to participate in the AM 101 trial. He is the only one administering the trial in my state. However, I am going to wait a little while longer before I make a decision on the trail to see if the ringing will go away.

There is such a thing as "window-of-opportunity". Don't miss the train.

 

[Katkin]

My jaw clicks on the right hand side when I open my mouth and when I clench my jaw I get a'ching' sound that corresponds to it. My general practitioner did not seem interested in this in relation to my tinnitus and only in psychological treatment. I am going to look into this further. Thanks. I am so pleased for your daughter.

 

[Katkin]

Forgot to add, the 'ching' sound when I clench, or push my jaw forward, appears to be on the left, even though my jaw clicks on the right.

 

[eewilk01]

I thought about it over the past few days and I think I'm going to participate in the AM 101 study. After NYE my tinnitus has increased some (I'm sure alcohol and loud noise didn't help).

If this can help others with Tinnitus in the future, I am willing to do whatever it takes.

 

[calidude209]

Hmm... Interesting .doesnt hurt to give it a try.Add me to the list of making appointment with dentist.about 2weeks ago I had pain in my replaced tooth,which was replaced years ago.i rinsed with listerine to make the pain go away. Tooth is on left side where T started also.

 

[jeannie]

I am in splint 24/7 now and I have only been adjusted 2x so far. the first time made my tinnitus worse...after 2nd adjustment, its steady.. these splints have to be right on in adjustment.. but I don't even know if my jaw is misaligned or not.. he said my condyles have to get back into a relaxed position..?? its only been a week since 2nd adjustment.. any one else have a splint to try and help with tinnitus??btw... my right side of jaw would /does crunch ,it has for years, but since I developed tinnitus, it was getting stiff . I could eat anything, open my mouth, no jaw pain... just tinnitus, severe neck and shoulder ache. after 1st adjustment I got some jaw pain... or anything and btw the nm dentist that made my splint didn't do any mri or xrays???

 

[linearb]

Yes probably. Hers was called a repositioning splint and she wore it 24/7. I'm sure there are different kinds depending on your specific problem. But I'm thinking this could be your cause and if so you are one of the lucky ones who will be cured! Keep updating!

Hi Isabella,

I met you at a tinnitus group last month, I believe you were going to send me the info on your daughter's dentist

 

[Uri38]

Interesting thread. One day I woke up in the middle of the night to tinnitus on both sides. I had not been exposed to any noise days prior to this happening. The next few days I noticed a stiff neck and limited rotation and occasionally clicking on the left side of my jaw when chewing. I went to 2 ENT's and explained my symptoms, they ran the hearing, MRI brain, MRI ears tests and nothing. They sent me home.
Month and a half later I still had ringing, mild but bothersome most of the time, especially when trying to sleep. I decided to to a different doctor, you know what they say, the 3rd time is the charm. I explained my symptoms to him showed him all my results, included blood lab results, he put his pinky fingers in my ears and had me open my mouth as wide as possible, he told me give your symptoms and how your jaw is opening I think its coming from a TMJ issue and send me to a specialist dentist and physical therapy. Took 2 weeks to see the dentist, he took a complete X-ray of my jaw and took X-rays of my TMJ joints. He told me they were not aligned correctly. I had a splint made which I started using, less than 2 weeks ago, after 1 week the T started to quiet down to the point its becoming less bothersome. They physical therapist touched some muscle inside my mouth top side and its very tender, not sure if that is playing a role. Anyway I think wearing the splint is helping, time will tell for sure, but so far after only 1 week the experience is positive. I hoping this resolves, going to bed one day fine, and waking up in the middle of the night is difficult to comprehend.

 

[CKC]

Hi Isabella123
@Isabella 123

Can you please let me know which dentist your daughter saw? I know the TMJ jaw alignment field is a tricky one and you have to make sure you see a good highly trained dentist otherwise the situation can get worse. It sounds like the dentist knows his stuff since he treated your daughter successfully. Please can you give me his details? I would like to go see him myself. I know part of my T is due to jaw issue, and in part due to otoxic medicine. I unfortunately have vertigo 24/7 along with T, and serious vision issues which could all be jaw related.

Thanks for posting this, it does help others!

All the best to you

 

[Mad maggot]

TMJ stands for temporo mandibular joint. If your jaw is misaligned then you have TMJD temporo mandibular joint disorder. The disorder could be a jaw with arthritis, a jaw that's misaligned, a jaw that's deformed. It is all disorders of the jaw. I have worn a TMJ splint for twenty five years day and night since my jaw was always clicking and cracking and locking so that I could neither open nor close my mouth. It would just stick and not move. A few weeks ago I had a new scan done that was a three D scan of my head and neck which revealed that not only is my jaw deformed but my whole skull. My old splint had worn down and due to having recently had two wisdom teeth out my jaw had begun cracking again and had slipped back to putting pressure on both my ears. I'm having w new splint made out of porcelain and it should be here from America in about a month (I'm in New Zealand). I'm hoping that this new splint, once it has moved my jaw into a better position and the muscles of my face have settled into a better place, that my T vertigo and nystagmus will improve. I have the best TMJ specialist in this part of the world. His name is Dr John Burford. He's originally from America. I'm sure if anyone wants to email him and ask he'd be happy to name some good TMJ docs in other places.

 

[linearb]

His name is Dr John Burford. He's originally from America. I'm sure if anyone wants to email him and ask he'd be happy to name some good TMJ docs in other places.

if you know of anyone of high regard in the Washington DC area let me know...

 

[jeannie]

yes I am in a 24/7 splint. it was called a repositioning splint and it was stressing my jaw a lot ( at least it felt that way) and I went this past week and he tensed me and made my splint into a flat plane splint so my jaw could recapture itself instead of trying to place it a certain position... I also had the k 7 which tracks jaw function and my jaw crunches a lot... so I guess time will tell. I would like to know what kind of splint your daughter had as well....

 

[Weswhat]

Hey @Isabella 123 how long did your daughter have tinnitus before getting treatment. Found out thats why I have tinnitus. Been 3 years though so Im a bit worried it's been too long.

 

[Mad maggot]

Just curious did getting your wisdom teeth out affect your t at all. I might have to get mine out soon.

Recently had two wisdom teeth removed and it worsened my tinnitus. My jaw and skull unbeknownst to me were deformed from birth. So I was only able to chew on m wisdom teeth - they were the only teeth that touched when I bit down! So taking them out further moved my jaw out of alignment trying to chew on other teeth. I now have a new splint (I had worn a previous one for TMJ for more than twenty years continuously until it wore out and I stopped wearing a splint thinking I didn't need it). I had intermittent T which affected my eyes. The noise in my ear makes my vision shake and jump uncontrollably. This would last from seconds to minutes with my head clearing for up to three minutes before the noise and jumping eyes would return. This was all day and al night.
Since the new splint I now have days where I could count the number of attacked I have of tinnitus and jumping vision. In fact I have had about two days in the last two months where I experienced no Tinnitus at all for the first time in seven years.
A misaligned jaw IS exactly what TMJ is. I'm not sure why the lady who posted this thread says her daughter never had TMJ? She has it or she would not have a splint. The tempera mandibular joint is TMJ. TMJD is a disorder of this joint which means it is misaligned.
Removal of teeth can affect your T if the T is coming from some area of your mouth or jaw.

 

[Mad maggot]

How does tinnitus related to jaw sound like ? Is it 100% stable or with fluctuations ?

It could be any kind of sound at all - constant or fluctuating or intermittent. There is no one type of T specifically suggesting TMJ relation.

 

[Mad maggot]

Hey @Isabella 123 how long did your daughter have tinnitus before getting treatment. Found out thats why I have tinnitus. Been 3 years though so Im a bit worried it's been too long.

Mines been over seven years - new splint last month and my T improved so much already.

 

[Mad maggot]

I am currently in braces & rubber bands and developed Tinnitus about three weeks ago in my left ear. It started two days after I had surgery (non-ear/face related). The ENT thought it might be related to anesthesia, medication, etc. However, I am having terrible pain by my ear in my jaw on the left side and it has been known to pop frequently. I have also been able to make it pop on my own for years. I'm wondering if my jaw may be misaligned due to braces and TMJ. I am a teeth grinder too, which is one of the main reasons I got orthodontic treatment in the first place. This Tinnitus is no joke and is making me miserable.

Sounds very familiar to me. See a GOOD TMJ specialist. Many claim to know about TMJ but have not much idea so make sure you choose a good one.

 

[Mad maggot]

@Isabella 123 can you share the info for the Dr that treated your daughter ?
Thanks!

This advice is soooo right! Maxilo facial surgeon is best bet

 

[Mad maggot]

My T started 18 months after I started wearing braces, and about a month after I started wearing a diagonal rubber band to correct my misaligned jaw. No doctor ever spoke of taking an X-ray of my jaw. I've only had 'close-ups' taken of my teeth for other reasons.

I'm still wearing braces and rubber bands now, and I'm wondering if I should quit or continue. Will it cure or worsen my T? Any advice?

See a good specialist. Don't do anything about your current braces etc until you have threeD surround X-ray of your head. Maxilo facial surgeon or specialist would be the best bet. Get them to check you out first and if it is the braces they'll advise you what to do or if a splint is needed.

 

[Mad maggot]

wow that good. sometimes my jaw cracks, and my jaw feels tight ont he side my T is??? wonder if i shoud check out my jaw ????

Yes! Yes!

 

[Mad maggot]

Isabella what do you mean by never? I have had pain in the left side of my jaw ever since I had a root canal done and since have acquired T also ...I wonder if its all related to mis alignment of the jaw could it be?

Could very well be. My jaw is easily upset by dental work as I wear a splint and have a misaligned jaw due to deformity of my skull. So I need to be careful I go to a dentist who understand because putting pressure on my jaw when doing dental work can mess it up! See someone about this as I would suspect there is a very high chance your jaw was upset or even damaged while getting the dental work done. Worth checking it out.

 

[Mad maggot]

I had 4 teeth pulled and wore braces in mid 2000's and now my jaw pops and cracks like crazy when opened, my entire jaw was pretty much changed as well as the position of all my teeth. Think this definitely has something to do with T? Normal hearing, the dentist thinks I might have TMJ and has me to get a mouth guard for night sleep. Is this the same thing that you are describing isabella?

It pops and cracks because the spongy cartilage that sits in the ball and socket of your jaw joint has come out and is snapping in and out of the joint when you open and close your mouth. This is very damaging and wears out your jaw joint and your jaw can even stick so that you cannot open or close the mouth at all - that used to happen to me.
A splint will position your jaw so that the cartilage can move back into the right spot cushioning your jaw joint and preventing wear on the bones.

 

[Juan ruiz]

hi there my name is juan can you please provide me with your doughters dentist for tmj im in florida but willing to travel my number is 8137160802

 

[jeannie]

Mad maggot,what kind of splint do you have?and do you wear it 24/7?

 

[Natalie Roberts]

Mad maggot,what kind of splint do you have?and do you wear it 24/7?

I have TMJ and have been seeing a specalist for over a year now. I just developed the ringing in my ears 2 weeks ago so I'm not sure if its related or not. Initially I did start out wearing a splint (lower teeth completely covered by splint) during the day and always at night. After a few weeks and the fact that my jaw pain was much less I went to only wearing it for a few hours during the day and always at night. I saw the specalist several times a week intitally and then once a week for about 6-8 months. It takes A LOT of commitment. Any time you adjust the splint your body has to react to that so it takes time to find the perfect balance between your jaw and the splint. I will tell you that after a year and countless visits my jaw pain is almost non-existant. I still wear my splint regularly and follow up with the dr every month or sooner if I feel a bit off.

 

[rach98n]

Hello...stumbled across this thread and while my main concern isn't tinnitus, it seems that my issue is similar to most here. I had an occurance of my jaw locking about 6 weeks ago. Muscle relaxers and steroids helped, but not my bite is off and still a good amount of pain and spasms. I have also had tinnitus for about 2 mths which I'm guessing is related. Went to a dentist specializing in TMJ and neuromuscular dentistry. His treatment plan is TENS therapy to place and fit the orthotic splint on the lower teeth to be worn 24/7 with regular adjustments until all is better. My question...how much does this tend to cost? His treatment plan is just under $5K.