Poke. Poke. Pokepokepokepokepoke.

[geoviki]

OMG, I feel like this.

I just got this retainer-splint thingie that covers my bottom teeth because I have TMJ (which is not at all the same as TMI, my dears). And my tongue is going batshitcrazy trying to investigate this New!Invasive!Stranger! in my mouth. I have to wear this damned thing for 3 months, after which I get another one to wear for three more months, and I hatez it already, aaaauuuggghhh!

On the plus side, I made a bunch of new icons. Here's one.

Comments

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

It's a slo-o-o-w process, though. Yeah, I shredded my tongue on the edge of it the first day. I'm sticking with it, though.

[rickey-a.livejournal.com]

aww cone of shame :(
I hope your TMJ clears up :(

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, yeah, Cone of Shame. I'm not sure how much to explain when I start talking. Mostly I try not to talk, which is kinda hard for me.

[venivincere]

I've been wearing something similar for a little over a year, now, at night, but it's for grinding and snoring. Of the two, it was far worse than getting used to bifocals. Oh my lost youth.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Apparently I snore worse than before, according to Mr. Geoviki. Waaaah!

[karen-jk.livejournal.com]

I hope it helps the TMJ, hon.

hugshugs

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The dentist has made no promises, though - I guess they have to be prepared if it doesn't work.

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

Yes! I had that when I had a root canal and had the rough temporary crown and then later, when they replaced it with the real one. My tongue could not stop poking it.

BUT at least the suffering is for something. Both my sisters have mouthguards due to TMJ and it's helped them tremendously. :)

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's encouraging! Tons of people have problems with their jaws, so at least I'm not alone.

[kokopoko.livejournal.com]

I've got TMJ. I can pop my left jaw joint all the time. Chewing gum is torture!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Mine is the right jaw. I didn't have the constant pain that most people have, but the dentist warned that one day, I wasn't gonna be able to pop it back into place and it would Freeze That Way, eek! And then it would be emergency surgery. It scared me into treatment.

[ravurian]

What is TMJ?

[mad-martha.livejournal.com]

Temporomandibular joint disorder. Basically it's what happens when you grind your teeth a lot, especially in your sleep - the muscles go into violent and agonising spasms, and it can feel like you've dislocated your jaw. I actually thought that was what had happened, when it first happened to me. It can be quite serious, some people crack their teeth with the pressure.

The treatment involves wearing a splint over your bottom teeth - it's a bit like a gumshield, and initially you have to wear it all the time. There are also exercises you can do to relax the muscles.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, good explanation. Mine's not from teeth grinding, though, but I'm not sure what did cause it. I haven't learned any exercises to relax my jaw - I'm trying to ply myself with nightly alcohol, though, in the spirit of relaxation ;-)

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

Isn't it just so weird getting used to something new or a change in your mouth? *hugs you madly*

C and I both have permanent guards we have to wear at night for grinding / clenching leading to TMJ. It's becoming endemic in western society, I think - my mum has one, and so does the 23 year old who used to live with us. I still clench so badly that I've managed to crack my splint in about three different places, but I guess it's better than cracking a tooth or losing the stability in my jaw.

If it's any consolation, you do get used to them. Don't be reluctant to go straight back to your dentist or technician if it isn't sitting well or you find parts of it causing you problems. It took me months to get mine really well fitted because it kept cutting or irritating the underside of my tongue and my cheeks (and I may have attacked parts of it with a nail file >.>), but it's worth it.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

I keep repeating that I will get used to this, but meanwhile, pokepokepokepoke!

More and more people are admitting to having it, too. Here in the USA, it falls thru the cracks for insurance, though - it's not covered by either dental or normal health insurance, so it's all out of pocket. Which means a lot of people can't afford to treat it.

[mad-martha.livejournal.com]

I've been wearing one of those things at night for over ten years, and the first time I had it I too had to wear it constantly for three months. I felt like a boxer wearing a gum-shield. I still do at night!

Having said that ... the TMJ (or "bruxism" as they called it back then) is a million times worse. It's pretty horrifying to wake up and feel like you've either dislocated your jaw or someone has rammed a red hot poker through the side of it.

It really is worth persevering - I hope you get used to it soon.

*hugs*

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've got 3 months of this one, then 3 months of another one to come. It really ruins mealtime so far - even though my tongue, and presumably my taste buds, are free, it still is like eating with someone else's mouth. Mr. Geoviki has been making me lots of soups and puddings so far. Trying to eat mixed nuts was a huge mistake!

Thanks for the encouragement.

[sassy-cissa.livejournal.com]

I work for an orthodontist who TMJ patients. I hope that alleviates some of your issues.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Lots of folks are suffering through this, I've discovered. Misery loves company. In fact, Mr. Geoviki got one last year for his tinnitus, and it seems to be helping him, but slowly. He could take his splint out to eat, though.