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Has anyone else had this

(30 Posts)
Blossoming Mon 18-Mar-24 13:40:19

I have (temporal mandibular joint) dysfunction which is exacerbated by facial nerve damage following a brain injury. These nerves can go into spasm.

What this means is I get clicking and grinding noises when I move my jaw and horrible pain right up the side of my head. I also experience bruxism (grinding my teeth when asleep),

You probably don’t have all this, but you do have a TMJ problem and I can cause bone loss in your jaw.. Ask the unhelpful GP for a referral to orthodontics at your nearest NHS clinic. This can be treated, as a previous poster said exercises help a lot. A soft diet can help for times when it’s playing up. I also have a soft splint to wear at night to prevent the tooth grinding and hold my jaw in the correct position.

MayBee70 Mon 18-Mar-24 12:50:51

Good grief. I had a similar problem years ago and ended up paying to see a consultant who gave me some exercises to do and told me to put Voltarol on my jawbone. It terrified me at the time as I was scared to eat or yawn, and, of course, the more you try not to yawn the more you have to. My dentist told me it was because I’d been chewing gum to stop smoking. Anything to do with that area is a bit if a grey area as doctors aren’t trained in anything to do with the mouth so your doctor was probably covering up the fact that he hadn’t got a clue. I’d ask to see another doctor ( and complain to the practice manager too).

greenlady102 Mon 18-Mar-24 12:49:02

What a RUDE doctor. It sounds more like a jaw joint problem and yes it definitely should be looked at.

BlueBelle Mon 18-Mar-24 12:47:28

Well not a very caring or attentive doctor I d ask for a second opinion
Does that happen if anyone’s had a mild stroke ?

eagle Mon 18-Mar-24 12:45:35

I visited my GP recently because my dentist said my mouth didn't open properly - more to the point he said it slipped to the left as I opened it - and he felt I had a problem with the right hand side of my jaw - hence the visit to my GP as the dentist said he couldn't diagnose me. I got completely floored when my GP asked me why it mattered I couldn't open my mouth properly. Not quite sure how I should have answered the question.