A Day In The Life Of Fibromyalgia: Dental Work – TMJ – Part 2

On June 22^nd, I went to the dentist. You can read about that visit at How Fibromyalgia Affects My Daily Life: Dental Work. That was on a Monday. About seven to ten days later I noticed the symptoms of TMJ starting with my upper left jaw. That is where the dental work was done. Having had TMJ three or four times since fibro was officially diagnosed. I had prescription strength anti-inflammatories from a previous issue. I also had the pain reliever’s so I started treatment as soon as I realized the symptoms.

I can’t remember the exact day the symptoms started because I was dealing with some serious dizziness issues and then this week I was diagnosed with a middle ear infection. Since this Blog is written by a person who really has fibromyalgia, my posts are dependent upon my health.

The point of this follow-up to my post, A Day in the Life of Fibromyalgia: Dental Work, is to mention that even though I had a great experience with my visit to the dentist, about a week or so later I started to get the symptoms of TMJ which we, as fibromite are sensitive to.

My dentist is great and in spite of his sensitivity to my fibro symptoms, no one could control the need for my jaw to be wide open during the dental work. As a result of the pressure on my jaw, I got a case of TMJ. It wasn’t a terrible case of TMJ, I’ve had worse, I think treating the symptom’s quickly made have controlled the TMJ from getting worse, maybe.

Will you always get TMJ after every dental visit? Maybe not. My visit before the filling was a check up and cleaning and I didn’t get TMJ symptoms so I don’t know if TMJ will follow every dental visit but I would be on the look out for it. Perhaps consult your dentist at the time of your visit to get prescriptions for TMJ MEDs just in case the symptoms appear. I don’t know if your dentist would be willing but it doesn’t hurt to ask and it certainly helps to be prepared. I have been taking the TMJ therapy for about four or five days and the symptoms are almost gone.

So when going to the dentist it is, I think, a good idea to be prepared for the possibility of TMJ after your dental work is done.

What has been your experience with dental work and TMJ? What has been your experience in general with going to the dentist with fibromyalgia?

Troy Wagstaff ©

This is not medical advice and in no way assumes liability.

Filed under: Fibromyalgia - Fbro Awareness | Tagged: a day in the life of fibromyalgia, dental work, fibro awareness, fibromite, tmj |