My ear infection actually turned out to be...

1714 Views 11 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Ceashels, Oct 17, 2009

MomToTwoBoys

Discussion Starter · Oct 6, 2009

TMJ.

I've been experiencing on and off pain in my ears for the last two years. It was impeding my hearing, sore, tender to the touch and gives me headaches that I can't stomach sometimes. I went to the doctor today and he looked in my ears. Of course, no infections or anything but when he pressed on my ear and pulled it back, it hurt. He put his fingers in the area where my upper and lower jaw meet and when I opened my mouth, it hurt.

He said that my best bet is to contact a dentist about getting the TMJ repaired. I talked to my mother about it tonight and her dentist also told her she had TMJ, which the one solution they gave her was to have her jaw broken and then set into place with her mouth wired shut. When I was in the Marine Corps and going to the dentist, they also told me the same thing. I figured that it was a fluke.

Honestly, I'm freaked out. It's not a cost thing; it's a pain tolerance thing. I know it has to be repaired and the one thing keeping me from calling a dentist tomorrow morning is the fear of having my jaw wired shut for any point of time.

Any advice?

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MomToTwoBoys

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 6, 2009

Thanks everyone.

It's silly to be so afraid of something like this, especially since I've been through worse. I feel like I should put my shoulder issues on hold and have this taken care of because to be honest, I can't deal with two major surgeries in such a short period of time. The shoulder issue is another thing in of itself, but I can put that off to get this taken care of first. I'd rather walk around with a bad arm than have to deal with any more facial pain.

I'll be going through the dental registry and seeing who many people feel is the best one to seek help with. I also have to find out if DH's dental coverage through work covers this since it's a medical condition and cannot be avoided. It's not like it's elective or cosmetic surgery or anything.

I'll keep everyone updated and see where I stand after I do some more searching.

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MomToTwoBoys

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 16, 2009

I went through my old dental record last night and found a paper that was from an orthodontist evaluation in 2005. Back then, they diagnosed me with skeletal dysplacia and malocclusion. I also have an excessive overjet and overbite. I'm wondering if these are contributing to my jaw problems.

Nevertheless, my entire face feels like someone's punched it nowadays. If we're moving in the Spring, I don't want to suck money out of moving to get this done.

But now I'm left with wondering what in the world is actually wrong with my mouth. I remember when I was in the Marine Corps and the dental department told me I'd have to have my jaw broken and rewired. I wonder if that's for the skeletal dysplacia and malocclusion. When I look up malocclusion on WebMD.com, this is what I get:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/malocclusion-and-orthodontics-treatment-overview

Orthognathic surgery treats malocclusion ("poor bite") by restructuring the jaw through cutting the bone and repositioning the bone segments.
Adults who have jaw-related malocclusion are sometimes offered a choice between simple orthodontic treatment and orthodontic treatment combined with orthognathic surgery. Adults who have severe jaw problems may need surgery to improve their looks and how the jaw works. Severe jaw problems can include upper jaws that don't match with the lower jaws.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons or plastic surgeons perform this surgery using general anesthesia. Recovery takes several weeks. While the bone slowly heals, the jaw is held in place with wires or plates and screws.
The most common problem after this surgery is numbness of the upper or lower lip (paresthesia). Other risks include infection, bleeding (hemorrhage), swelling, muscle spasm, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).
For most people, orthognathic surgery is elective, based on personal choice. Because orthognathic surgery requires a long and difficult recovery period, you should carefully weigh the benefits against the hardship and expense of the surgery.
For those few people who also have serious functional problems, such as problems with chewing or closing the mouth, orthognathic surgery may be a necessity.

*sigh*

So yeah, that's where that stands. That's going to drive me nuts now.

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