Useless Conversation

[stu]

... my jaw has been throbbing like a bastard for the past two weeks, like getting punched every night while sleeping*.  And now ? 

It's stopped.

Probly just too much hard candy.

I had the same problem when I was a kid.

[Ironwood]

...

[Ironwood]

I had the jaw throbbing thing a few years ago, and it turned out to be just clenching/grinding my teeth at night due to stress (I had noticeably ground down some teeth).  We did the air gun, x-rays and what not.  

Also, for closure, it was This.

Which really annoys me.

[Johny Cee]

I had the jaw throbbing thing a few years ago, and it turned out to be just clenching/grinding my teeth at night due to stress (I had noticeably ground down some teeth).  We did the air gun, x-rays and what not.  

Also, for closure, it was This.

Which really annoys me.

It sucked, and you don't even get closure.  I felt much better once the dentist told me that, just that I wouldn't need surgery or whatever.  That was just a shitty year, as that was also my year of shingles and unexplained weight loss.

Edit:

They gave me a rinse, which didn't seem to help and at least stained my teeth like I had been living on the streets for years.  Did they ask about fitting you for a custom sleep guard (aka, mouthpiece)?

[Ironwood]

OK, you're just BOTHERING me now.  I've gone down 3 notches on my belt and I was insanely proud of this.

Now I'm concerned.

 

[ghost]

If it is due to stress related grinding they might be able to get you a mouthguard to sleep in which would help things quite a bit.

[Ironwood]

Which was mentioned to me, but I don't understand.  If it's muscular because of that, surely a mouthguard won't prevent muscle strain, merely damage to your teeth ?

Or perhaps I'm being obtuse due to currently pretending to be Santa and eating the mince pie, drinking the booze and, yes, chewing on the carrot.

[Arthur_Parker]

You won't do it at all, because with a mouthguard in you won't get to sleep.  At least that's my experience of trying to get used to one for a week to fix my snoring, I eventually gave up trying.

Downstairs is like Aladdin's cave at the moment, we went way overboard on presents this years for the little one. (I think partly because the Father in law passed away a couple of weeks ago and we're all still in shock, lung cancer out of fucking nowhere).

[climbjtree]

New Years Eve.

Black suit with white shirt and red tie, or navy suit with a blue shirt and golden tie?

[Paelos]

Black white red. It's a classical look.

[ghost]

Which was mentioned to me, but I don't understand.  If it's muscular because of that, surely a mouthguard won't prevent muscle strain, merely damage to your teeth ?

Or perhaps I'm being obtuse due to currently pretending to be Santa and eating the mince pie, drinking the booze and, yes, chewing on the carrot.

Really the problem isn't so much grinding as the clenching when it comes to pain like you were having.  By having a bite guard it helps to position the jaw joints in the most stable and comfortable positions, thus lessening the muscular pain you might have.  There's also a component of "shaking things up" when it comes to the bite and you will tend to not clench as much as your body gets used to the new sleep bite.

I will typically recommend to my patients, when they are having problems like what you describe, that they take 800 mg of Ibuprofen three times a day to decrease inflammation and to eat nothing harder than scrambled eggs.  They are to do this for two weeks.  If that cures up the problem then great.  Then I will progress on to a splint if needed (very rarely).  I would also encourage you to make sure there's not dental related cause, as the most typical cause of pain in the jaws is from tooth pathology.  

Just as an FYI, if you're going to have a splint made (which I think isn't a bad idea) get someone that knows what they are doing, preferably a TMJ specialist if they have those in your area.  Also (to answer your question) a splint can prevent muscle strain if done correctly.  Hence the recommendation for a TMJ specialist.

[Ironwood]

Yes, this is exactly what my dentist did say, so I guess You're Not An Internet Faker.

We'll see how it goes.

In other news, Merry Christmas.  Elena is currently dancing along with Dancing Mickey.  It's amazing what kids enjoy.  Me, first cup of the day.

[ghost]

Hopefully not the first cup of bourbon 

Merry Christmas!

[TripleDES]

What a day again. I can't wait for these fucking festivities to be over. My family's a bunch of goddamn lunatics. Either they're setting themselves expectations akin to soap opera christmas and flipping out when they're not being met, or they don't give a shit and begrudgingly pretend because of the god-/grandchildred, nephews and so on, and make faces like the grinch. I think I'll book holidays in Cuba next year, without telling anyone.

[Samwise]

I've only got one more day of Christmas left to go.  I also might be coming down with this horrible stomach flu that's been making the rounds, but it could just be my stomach feeling murgly because I've been eating and drinking nonstop for two days.  Is it wrong that I'm sort of hoping that I'm actually sick so I can bail on today's festivities and spend all day sitting on my wonderful comfy couch with the shades drawn and playing Batman?

[MuffinMan]

Cool, another avatar for me to scroll by fast at work.

[Samwise]

Don't you have today off for Christmas?  Communist.

[MuffinMan]

I may as well. When all of the auto body shops are closed there's not much to do as an insurance adjuster.

[Minvaren]

Holy hell, what a difference fixing a ground loop can make for your stereo system.    

[Abagadro]

This year's fallen soldiers. The larger one is a Jeroboam (which is a double magnum).

[ghost]

That's weak.   

[Sky]

Teeth grinding. Got a warning this year from my dentist, we May Have To Do Something.

Problem is, grinding my jaw is how I keep time when I play music. I've tried to stop while listening to music, but it's a subconscious thing when I'm playing. Unless I don't want to sing, a mouth thingy isn't an option. I've got a bunch of cracked teeth. Sucks, they're otherwise wicked healthy.

[Minvaren]

So this morning, I learned that 100% silicone caulk can expire.  Apparently 6 months before I bought it, even.

Accordingly, this evening, I will be re-re-caulking the master bath.  

[Xanthippe]

I've only got one more day of Christmas left to go.  I also might be coming down with this horrible stomach flu that's been making the rounds, but it could just be my stomach feeling murgly because I've been eating and drinking nonstop for two days.  Is it wrong that I'm sort of hoping that I'm actually sick so I can bail on today's festivities and spend all day sitting on my wonderful comfy couch with the shades drawn and playing Batman?

If you get the stomach flu my family got a few weeks ago, you won't spend the day sitting on your couch.

[Ironwood]

Wifi Laptop on the shitter.

Sounds like a party.

[Yegolev]

That is what I have a PSP and Tactics Ogre for.

[ghost]

Teeth grinding. Got a warning this year from my dentist, we May Have To Do Something.

Problem is, grinding my jaw is how I keep time when I play music. I've tried to stop while listening to music, but it's a subconscious thing when I'm playing. Unless I don't want to sing, a mouth thingy isn't an option. I've got a bunch of cracked teeth. Sucks, they're otherwise wicked healthy.

You should get something to wear when you play.  It will be a lot cheaper than the option of replacing them.

[Yegolev]

I wear a athletic mouth guard while I sleep.  After going back to work just one day, I think I need to wear it during the daytime now.

[Chimpy]

I wear a athletic mouth guard while I sleep.  After going back to work just one day, I think I need to wear it during the daytime now.

From the tone of some of your posts, I think you need to wear a helmet to work as well.

[Cheddar]

Good God Pittsburgh is HUGE.

I mean, I knew it was big (on paper), but seeing it is interesting. 

[ghost]

I wear a athletic mouth guard while I sleep.  After going back to work just one day, I think I need to wear it during the daytime now.

Why do I have a feeling that your avatar is an accurate reflection of the real life you?

[Sky]

Why do I have a feeling that your avatar is an accurate reflection of the real life you?

Aren't they all?

[ghost]

Why do I have a feeling that your avatar is an accurate reflection of the real life you?

Aren't they all?

Not in all cases.  I don't think yours is very reflective.  Maybe something more like:

[Sky]

[Yegolev]

I wear a athletic mouth guard while I sleep.  After going back to work just one day, I think I need to wear it during the daytime now.

Why do I have a feeling that your avatar is an accurate reflection of the real life you?

It is accurate on some days, definitely.  The Cloud hasn't pissed me off lately, though.  I think the old dino was accurate as well, and the Bowie-is-tired one.

As for Sky, I often think of him when I watch the episode of Phineas and Ferb where they are trying to reunite Love Handel.