I decided to not order Jessica's newest. Doctor and TMJ doctor said I should be able to exercise again, but I don't think I'll be at the same level. Well, unless a miracle happens, lol. Come to think of it, I was getting to the point of having to slow down, especially with Lift and Shift. I think even without this issue, I was moving more towards Senior Shape workouts etc.
The appointment went well. He uses a splint that goes over the pain site with a compound pharmacy paste that relieves pain. That calmed it down so much! I have so much less pain. I think now the new meds can work. He wants to calm it down before I get the new mouth guard. I don't get the new ones until June 10, so have to focus on preventing more teeth grinding until then.
Basically, I have nerve damage from years of grinding my teeth and using OTC mouth guards. If I had caught it in time, it probably could have been reversed. Unfortunately, I thought I needed dental work, which irritated it further. What I did is common, most people do this. And dentists don't usually have a clue about this. My endo did somewhat, but he didn't explain it to me, just kept telling me to go to the TMJ specialist. Unfortunately, I was recommended to go to a bad one. She didn't explain things well, and gave me the wrong advice. The mouth guard she made was too painful to wear.
What is sad is that if dentists knew about this, they could prevent people from doing more damage, but they don't usually have a clue. And if they do, they don't explain it well. My TMJ specialist gave me the wrong advice, to exercise, which made it more painful. Also, I thought she did regular xrays, and couldn't tell if my tooth had a crack. Actually, she did do something called a CBCT which is more thorough than xrays, but didn't tell me. I think they expect you to accept their word as if they are god, but I question everything and need it explained. I've had doctors in the past give me the wrong treatment. Oh well, I need to stop beating myself up. I keep going back over the past, thinking if only I knew. Most likely, these nerves will never heal. The good news is that I can manage it with meds and the mouth guards, and resume a more normal life. Not what I had before, and probably not 100% pain free. But I should be able to eventually resume chewing and some exercise. It's just going to be a process. I do feel much better today with the paste splint and the new med.
ETA: I did call the new TMJ doctor about my teeth grinding while I wait for mouth guard. He called in a prescription for a muscle relaxer to minimize the grinding while I wait for the mouth guard. He gave me his cell phone number to call when I have questions or problems. He is very understanding and seems to care.
__________________
Sherry
|