I'm going to have 2 or perhaps all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed next week. Me dentist says that it should have been done ages ago. They are not impacted, they're healthy teeth but just not in line with the rest of my teeth, which may be making my TMJ problem worse. Those of you with TN/ATN who had wisdom teeth removed after being diagnosed - is there any advice that you could give me? Did you get local injection or were you put under? Did any of you experience worsening of your symptoms after the removal? Many thanks and I wish you a pain-free day everyone!
This is what I would do: , to comfort myself and confirm with oral surgeon , is to go to google - click on images, then type in trigeminal neuralgia -- print one of those off -- and he can show you how he can work around the nerves....that's the only way I would feel safe.
Thank you, Cleo, for the posting. I remember how my TMJ started, it was in a dentist's office, he was taking an x-ray and didn't remove the device fast enough from my mouth and I felt this horrible pain as if my head was about to explode. I thought nothing of it then because things went back to normal as soon as he freed my mouth of the thing, it was probably just musclular then. Two apictomies later I woke up one day and my previously normal bite was gone....I have not been able to regain it since (over a year now). My lower teeth shifted after having my jaw cut open many times and I think that's the main problem. My jaw deviates to one side and when the weather behaves funny I get pain along the ears and my jaw line, there's also this annoying clicking sound in my right jaw (which is the better side). My gut feeling tells me that having my wisdom teeth removed won't solve the issue, since this is not how it started, at the same time I think what if... grasping at the straw, you know...
The information on that webpage is quite scary though, I'll have to think this over.
I know, isn't it strange? In my TMJ doctor's waiting room people talk about TN episodes or migraines as if it was the most natural thing to experience when you have TMJ -- there seems to be a connection.
shindig said:
I told the neuro I was getting teeth pulled and he said not to, that it can leave further nerve pain.
I met an orthodontist who inevitably referred me to neurologists after doing an x-ray and saying everything was where it should be.
I still have my wisdom teeth and an extra tooth between my front two teeth somehow...you can't see the extra one it's in the gums of my upper lip. I also have probably the worst case of TMJ you've ever heard, can hear me chewing from across the house in another room with the door shut.''
It seems like so many people with TN have TMJ, I don't get it, I never meet people who have it but it seems like a large percentage on here have it.
Yea, they do surgery - arthroscopy or arthrocentisis (sp?). Last time I waited to see my doctor I got into a conversation with a girl who said she had a surgery done without a CT scan or an MRI! I wouldn't take that chance, not after all I've been through with ATN. The doctor always asks what bothers me most, to which I always reply the pain in my lower front teeth and the "weird" bite I now have. He's referring me to have a bone and tissue sample taken from my lower jaw to rule out necrosis or osteomyelitis (spelling?) of the bone. I got a night guard made months ago which I can't wear because it makes my teeth hurt more. I had a CT scan done to rule out inflammation of the jaw joints. He always asks things like "do you have a stressful job" or if I chew a gum often ....I always tell him that my TMJ pain is somehow related to my dental treatments (and yes, perhaps the stress that comes with chronic pain), but I can tell that this explanation is not satisfactory enough for him. I think what they usually do is start off whit physio and a special regiment of soft food, no gum etc., then the night guard and if things don't improve or go worse they do surgery (3 types, the final one being a total jaw joint replacement). Some TMJ doctors give you braces, while others say that braces are to blame for TMJ disorder in the first place.....
I don't think you're missing much if you don't see a TMJ doctor any more, from what I read on the internet there is a rougly 1:1 chance that any TMJ/D treatment will make your symptoms worse, whether that be braces, a night guard or a surgery of any sort.....I just take magnesium, B vitamins and try to avoid chewy foods... it works ...some of the time, anyway...
Hi Oldriska, I had my wisdom teeth removed 20+ years ago, long before I started having atypical tooth pain. All four were impacted and had to be cut out, so they put me under for it. Nonetheless, it was pretty horrendous. Despite following all of the aftercare instructions to the letter, there was a lot of swelling and bruising. On top of that, they had to take my braces off to remove the wisdom teeth and then put them back on two weeks later. That was just the icing on the cake.
I can’t imagine going though all that while also dealing with ATN and TMJ unless it were absolutely medically necessary. Is it possible for you to get a second (and perhaps even a third) opinion? I’m sure you have already thought of that, but thought I would throw that out there anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to find out what other doctors recommend, though you might just end up with two or three different opinions.
My heart goes out to you having to deal with a misaliagned bite, especially for so long. I’ve had some issues with my bite as well, and it is absolutely maddening when your teeth don’t fit together properly. Even though I don’t have TMJ, some of the protocols they recommend for dealing with TMJ had been helpful for me, specifically doing physical therapy, avoiding crunchy foods and always chewing equally on both sides. My doctor has also told me to avoid having my mouth open for long periods of time (such as when having dental work done) and that I should not have my bite adjusted, as this can potentially make things even worse.
Good luck with your research! Please let me know if you have any follow up questions.
I had one doctor telling my I should take the teeth out to create more space in the jaws and avoid cavities in the future, and another doctor told me he wouldn't recommend taking wisdom teeth out for 'experimental' reasons. In any case I think they should have taken the teeth out before I had my braces put on years ago, now I'm inclined to think that it is the case of taking them out and "seeing what happens." I have decided to postpone the surgery....I don't feel fit enough to go through it now. The reason I agreed to go with it was that I'm starting a new job next month and wanted to be done with all this dental stuff before I join the new company, but some decisions are better not rushed...
Thanks again for your support.
Take care,
Oldriska
Chris K. said:
Hi Oldriska, I had my wisdom teeth removed 20+ years ago, long before I started having atypical tooth pain. All four were impacted and had to be cut out, so they put me under for it. Nonetheless, it was pretty horrendous. Despite following all of the aftercare instructions to the letter, there was a lot of swelling and bruising. On top of that, they had to take my braces off to remove the wisdom teeth and then put them back on two weeks later. That was just the icing on the cake.
I can't imagine going though all that while also dealing with ATN and TMJ unless it were absolutely medically necessary. Is it possible for you to get a second (and perhaps even a third) opinion? I'm sure you have already thought of that, but thought I would throw that out there anyway. It wouldn't hurt to find out what other doctors recommend, though you might just end up with two or three different opinions. ;)
My heart goes out to you having to deal with a misaliagned bite, especially for so long. I've had some issues with my bite as well, and it is absolutely maddening when your teeth don't fit together properly. Even though I don't have TMJ, some of the protocols they recommend for dealing with TMJ had been helpful for me, specifically doing physical therapy, avoiding crunchy foods and always chewing equally on both sides. My doctor has also told me to avoid having my mouth open for long periods of time (such as when having dental work done) and that I should not have my bite adjusted, as this can potentially make things even worse.
Good luck with your research! Please let me know if you have any follow up questions.
Thank you for your message, your advice is always much appreciated! During the last apic they didn't take any sample, it was done at a regular oral surgeon's office and I need to go to a hospital to have the sample taken as they have a laboratory there. I'm not excited to have another wound after today, but the doctor says in my case one more is not a big deal... In any case, I better be sure now then sorry later (if it really is osteomyelitis where early treatement is essential).
I might as well have my night guard adjusted, recently I woke up at night because of the noise I was making grinding my teeth, it was awful. I think I do it because my teeth do don't fit any longer causing some muscles go into spasm, but it's just how I feel it. Anyway, good idea!
Thank you, Cleo! I should know the results in a couple of weeks. The biopsy was awful, not as much the procedure itself because the doctor worked really fast and I was numbed the whole time, but the swelling and pain that follow it are bad. I usually heal pretty quickly after an apico and have minimal pain from the cut, but this time I have to pop in pain pills every 4 hours and I hardly recognize my face in the mirror, there's a lot of swelling. Oh well, hopefully it's nothing and hopefully I made a good decision when I had this done.
Thank you, Cleo, I'm actually starting to feel and look like my usual self today, much of the swelling is gone and I survived the night without having to take any pain pills. I'm only worried now that the surgery could possilby make my ATN worse but it's too early to be able to tell as I'm on antibiotics at the moment and as weird as this may sound whenever I get antibiotics I start feeling kind of better -- less pain, more energy, less brain fog. So we shall see in a few weeks' time....I so want to be fit for my new job in April! Hope you're doing okay!
