Hi HayleyJ,

Working in a dental office I know how tightly scheduled things can be, but there is always room for an emergency. Your current situation is considered urgent in that there needs to be some intervention asap. Good that you went to your GP and at least had it looked at.

Anti inflammatories will help alleviate some of the inflammation which helps to reduce the spasm and pressure. The wooden stick between the teeth allows the bite to open in a resting position. But you can't bite on a stick all day! That is why an orthodic appliance would be helpful because it serves the same purpose as the stick, but it's something that can be worn all day and/or all night if necessary. A TMJ specialist, an oral surgeon and some general dentists can make you an orthodic. An orthodontist can make one too, but they look at the bite differently than the rest of the dental profession and can sometimes make TMJ issues worse, depending on their recommended treatment. It is best to be as conservative as possible at this stage!

As for the exercises, I would recommend that take an anti inflammatory and then apply warm moist heat for 20 minutes to the left TMJ area just before you do any deliberate exercises. These will help to loosen up the ligaments so they are willing to move a bit more freely. Otherwise, you would be trying to maneuver a tight ligament that is already in spasm.

It is also very important to be mindful of the way your teeth are positioned. Do not close your teeth tightly together, always leave a slight open gap between your upper and lower teeth. This is the proper resting position for your TMJ joints. When the ligaments are in spasm, we tend to clench our teeth together........ avoid this as much as possible.

Follow the soft diet and the other recommendations I listed as I'm sure the GP suggested similar things. What about getting an appointment with the dentist that pulled the tooth??? He should be able to get you in asap since he contributed to the problem in the first place. That's not to say he was at fault or did something wrong........ this is a common occurance and it just happens. Did you try calling him?

Bryanna