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Old 04-23-2010, 08:24 PM
watsonsh watsonsh is offline
Grand Magnate
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,642
15 yr Member
watsonsh watsonsh is offline
Grand Magnate
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,642
15 yr Member
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Hi Byranna,

And thanks for the information.

So here is the latest. Its Friday and I was supposed to have the next step of the implants done today. I need to get it done before the end of the month because I am changing jobs and I will lose the FSA I have set aside for this.

So on Wednesday I went to my regular dentist for a new flipper with two teeth instead of three so see if it would put less pressure on my jaw and I could wear it. Well I got there and they had also scheduled a whole new set of xrays for me since it had been a year and half (have not gone becasue of all the pain) and a dental cleaning. I really did nto want the xrays because I did nto think I needed to spend the money and the oral surgeon had just done a CT scan a month and a half ago. But they insisted for sake of checking for cavities. So I did it. They stretched my jaw a bit and I was like ugh this was probably a bad idea. Then I warned the dental hygenist that I have really bad TMJ issues and I am a chronic pain patient with a RSD now in my left shoulder. Well sure enough the cleaning falired me. She used some ultasonic wand maching that helped get deposits off and I could tell the vibrations might cause pain. Sure enough later that night my jaw was painful and inflamed and my right side face on the side of the bone graft was slight swollen. The right side was throbbing like I could hear my heartbeat in my year and had this buzzing vibrating feeling in my face and behind my right eye. And the pressure from the night guard on my lower teeth back near the right side joint was painful. All this was on Wenesday and the oral surgery was supposed to be today Friday. I knew I probably should not have done the cleaning and was mad because i really just wanted to come in for the new flipper.

So yesterday I called the oral surgeon and the dental pain specialist I have been seeing. The Dental pain guy said to put ice on the joint and some anti inflammatories. The oral usrgeon told me the same thing.

So today I go to the oral surgon and I am pretty flared up. Right side is better but the left side jaw joint is really bad and its on the same side as my bad shoulder so it just makes things worse when that shoulder spasm's up and pulls on that left side.

So anyway went to the oral surgeon today and he could see I was in pain and he felt the jaw alot and tested it. Said he did not want to do the impants today based on the pain and how inflamed everything was. He could see that my jaw was just jammed back in my head.

Instead he suggested the arthrocentisis that the dental pain specialist recommended. So he put me under and did both saides of the jaw. While it hurts and is sore from the injection I can tell my jaw is much more forward and not as receded. He is also sending me for TMJ PT.

So we have put off the oral surgery until next week friday and hopefully the jaw will be better.

So thats the update.

Any thoughts or suggestions on the arthrocentisis or the implants?

Thanks Byranna!

Shelley












Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryanna View Post
Hi Shelley,

The procedure of flushing the joint is called Arthrocentesis. I found a quick blurb on it from the mayo clinic site which gives a description and picture of the actual procedure. You have to enlarge the picture to see it. Here is the site: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tmj/treatment.html

Although this article states "minimally invasive", it is not to be thought of as a minor procedure. When comparing it to Arthroplasty (tmj surgery) it is minimal. But the pros and cons of the procedure should be discussed thoroughly before consenting to having it done.

Some questions to ask the dentist:

1)How many arthrocentesis have you performed?
2)How many of those were successful....to what degree and for how long?
3)How many of those patients went on to have tmj surgery?
4)How many of those surgery patients had successful results, to what degree and for how long?
5)Can arthrocentesis be done more than once? If so, how many times?
6)Does arthrocentesis cause any damage to any part of the joint, ligament, etc? What if it's done multiple times?
7)How long before I would notice a positive result?
8)Can this procedure worsen my tmj condition?
9)What solution do you use to inject into the joint to flush it out?
11)Do you also inject steroids into the joint?
12)If yes to steroids, what are the possible short and long term side effects... both positive and negative from using the steroids?
13)What anesthesia is used for sedation purposes....and why?

Shelley, are they positive of the diagnosis?

Bryanna
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