Expert: Susan Tannenbam - 1/15/2007

Question
How do you get rid of your pain?Ive suffered with this for many yrs.I didnt know what else to do.Im 55 now with only six teeth left.I have a molar I believe ,left side of jaw with hole and severe shooting pain that goes up thru ear.Ive been searching web to see what I could do.Iunderstnad more then I did.Im into Native remedies.

Answer
TMJ causes the facial and chewing muscles to get tight and this can REFER pain into the teeth and gums,and the ears and head,  causing many people with this condition to think there is something wrong with their teeth when there is NOTHING wrong with the teeth...many dentists extract these teeth unnecessarily!  It can feel like you need a root canal also.  I had some teeth extracted because I and my dentist did not understand this. So be careful not to blame a toothache on the tooth itself!  I know this sounds unusua, but it's true.


I have a hard nightguard that fits over the bottom teeth.  I assume you have one also.
The alpha-stim100 which you need a RX for, but can get online helped me a lot with the pain.
Also ultrasound, going over the painful areas on my face is good.
ALso, I used acupuncture - very helpful  It took me a little while to find one that was very good, but it was worth it.
You can try muscle relaxers as a temporary measure, like flexerall (spelling?).
Avoid very hard foods.
If you live in the NY area I can refer you to a good TMJ dentist.  email me at suelliot2@earthlink.net  You can also try the TMJ department of a dental school near you.