TMJ Night Guard

For anyone out there who ever had TMJ issues, you never want to get in to a situation to put your poor joints at risk. Over thirty years ago I had TMJ surgery because I could no longer open my mouth, had headaches, shoulder and neck pain, and was generally miserable. Since then I need to wear a splint at night or the next day would be very uncomfortable. These appliances were always specially made at the Medical College. Since we moved to DC from Milwaukee I have been wearing an off the shelf brand and my front teeth have slowly been separating because it is a soft splint. So I finally decided to have my dentist make a splint - or night guard - for me. It required a visit to take impressions and it is made out of a harder, clear material. I was surprised it didn't have diamonds on it because it cost quite a lot. And of course, insurance does not pay for a cent - neither medical nor dental. But I can't risk getting in to a very uncomfortable jaw problem again. Every time I hear a click or feel any discomfort it is disconcerting to say the least. The first night was a bit uncomfortable because it is rigid and I need to get adjusted to the new appliance. Hopefully it will work out. I'm just glad there are devices out there that can ease the pain, but still can't believe how expensive they are. Let's hope I don't need another one any time soon - for so many reasons. 

TMJ, Routine Dental Visits and Expensive Splints

We have insurance. Every time we go to the dentist or doctor we ask how can people afford health care because even with insurance everything is so expensive. I've been having a lot of medical tests lately and am awestruck by the cost to have just basic things done. This exclamation comes from a family of health care professionals. Without any X-rays at a routine dental visit yesterday, it cost $170.00 to have my teeth cleaned and examined. Having had TMJ surgery over thirty years ago, I am very concerned about maintaining good care of my jaw joints. In so doing I need to wear a splint at night to protect them, and me, from grinding. Since I have almost chewed through my current splint, I asked about having another one made as I used to have special splints created at the medical college of Wisconsin before we moved here. My dentist can can have one specially fit for me to the tune of about $600 - and insurance doesn't cover any of it. It supposedly should last for awhile and can be reconfigured if the upper teeth require any dental work that changes the original shape - which does happen. Now i need to make another appointment. What I like the most is the little "gift bag" that is provided at the end of the visit - toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste. This time I noticed the toothbrush no longer has the dental office logo and phone number on it - it's just a standard toothbrush. Maybe it's just too expensive to have them made anymore!