Hi fathm,
You could be experiencing TMJ problems from chewing too soon after the extractions along with severe irritation in the one extraction site. If food debris becomes impacted in an extraction site it is going to cause pain in that site and possibly referred pain into the muscle area also.
The fact that you already had TMJ abnormalities, with or without pain, makes you at a higher risk for further TMJ issues after dental work. Especially if you over use your jaw muscles too soon afterwards. Which it sounds like you did that.
The TMJ musculature can be asymptomatic until the muscle spasms. If it wasn't in spasm prior to the extractions or until you chewed food, then it would make sense for the delayed musculature pain as it hit due to a spasm. Backing off from chewing and opening your mouth wide may be just enough to relax the muscle. But that is not something you can rush. It could takes weeks or more to truly relax because it is a muscle that is used for talking and opening the mouth to drink, eat soft foods, brush teeth, etc.
It is important that the extraction site be evaluated properly to make sure there is not a food impaction. If the oral surgeon did not look thoroughly at the extraction sites... then go back and see him or someone else again.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by fathm1988
Hello All,
I am referring to these forums because I have been under a lot of stress and hoped that I could find some advice. Before anything, I want to say that I have TMJ (hypermobility of my left joint) but never had any pain in my joints. My right side has been fine with some minor clicking. Never had any jaw pain.
Everything went downhill at the beginning of the month (September 2015). I came back from vacation and started developing major pain in my left upper wisdom tooth (erupted for almost 3-4 years) area and that alternated with my right upper wisdom tooth (erupted for a year). The bottom right had not erupted yet. I only had 3 wisdom teeth at that point because I had my bottom left removed a couple years ago.
I figured that I needed to remove them ASAP I got them removed through an oral surgeon. He mentioned that the top two were easy to remove and the bottom one had to be removed surgically, but will probably give me the most problems in terms of healing (also had stitches at that site). After the surgery, of course the first week was spent in pain and swelling (mostly on the right side that had 2 wisdom teeth removed). Jaw stiffness lasted for 4-5 days and I could open my mouth with ease after that. For the first 1.5 weeks I was having liquids and soft foods (e.g. eggs, yogurt, protein shakes, pasta, etc.) just in case. Maybe one or two times I had chewier foods like chicken. When I hit the 2 week mark, I decided to eat more solid foods (burgers, chicken). This is when my nightmare has restarted.
The right side is fine, but my left top extraction site is hurting like crazy. I went in to the same clinic and had to see a different (much younger) oral surgeon who said all the sites were healing well, but it is actually the muscles in the left side of my jaw are giving me pain. I have been put on a soft diet for 2 weeks.
I do not understand his logic as I feel the pain literally radiating from the extraction site (or so it feels). My jaw joints don’t hurt. I felt that for 2 weeks that site was giving me no issues, even when I was opening my wide really to eat. How can all of a sudden this extraction site give me pain? Or the muscles behind it? I was rinsing my mouth religiously with salt water for 2 weeks, but for the past few days I noticed that particular hole had food stuck in it and the sensitivity went up (they did not give me a syringe to clean out the holes).
I am so scared because I can’t tell at this point whether it is my TMJ muscles or if the extraction site has been irritated majorly after eating those foods or maybe because I have been using the left side more to chew. If it is TMJ muscles, how long does this last usually?
What if the pain that I thought was my wisdom teeth was actually my TMJ muscles?
My question is it normal for the pain to go away and then suddenly come back 2 weeks after? I don’t know what to think because I have reading horror stories online and I feel that maybe this is the beginning of my TMJ disorder.
Please please help. I have been crying for the past two days because I am under so much stress.
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