I can't imagine what I'll look like ......

Wonkylegs

......... once I've been to the dentist tomorrow.

Have been having jaw problems for ages, and presumed it was arthur moving on to one of the few joints he hasn't yet visited :roll: , but apparently as well as inflammation there is evidence that I grind my teeth. :shock:

so .... tomorrow I am being fitted with a mouth guard to wear at night.
Hopefully that will help.

but I have this mental image problem to get over - I'll now be putting more on to go to bed (2 lotions for the bad skin, gloves on hands, socks to support feet, resting wrist splints on each arm, mouth guard .. ) than most take off

whatever will my hubby be thinking

I'll let you know if the mouth guard helps cos I know others have been having TMJ problems in the past.

WOnky

dreamdaisy

I too clench my jaw and find, when I wake up, that my head is pushed right back - when I open my eyes I see the ceiling! I think the pain is behind this, sleeping is not easy with the joints chuntering away.

Tell you what, wonky, go the whole hog: get yourself an American Football kit. That lot should keep you warm, support everything that needs supporting and the helmet will help keep the guard in place. Simples. It will also ensure when you trip over the dog (or a pile of books) in your nocturnal wanderings for micturation you won't hurt yourself as you tumble. Job done on a number of fronts! Good luck, I sincerely hope it helps. DD

julie47

Wonky I hope the mouth guard helps

(dribbling, I do that and dont have a mouth guard :oops: )

Juliepf x

skezier

Hi Wonky,

You will look lovely The things we have to do eh?! Its a good idea though and may well ease the jaw pain bit time and any pain ease is worth chasing eh?

I kinda agreeing with Julie... but would never admit it

Love, slurps, slobber and bounces ( and thats from me ) Cris xxx

stickywicket

skezier wrote:

Love, slurps, slobber and bounces ( and thats from me ) Cris xxx

I'm now thinking of all those strangely augmented cuppas you blamed Slurps for. Shame on you, skezier!

Wonky, you will look delightful. And, if Mr Wonky is anything like Mr SW he'll be snoring away anyway. But please do keep us informed. If it enhances your love life we'd all like to know.

skezier

Hey Sticky I did say i wouldn't admit it xx

ironic

Hi Wonkey,

I have also heard that they take some time to getting used to and the picture Lynn has painted sounds about right.
Hubby says I moan and grind my teeth at night but how would he know when he snores for England!! I think he is telling porkie pies there...

I am sure Mr W will just want you to be free of the jaw pain.

Lv, I x

nanasue

Snap, I've just come back from the dentist and she said my problems are caused by clenching my jaw, so she's done a mould for a mouth guard and I get it next Friday. Seems like it could be another arthritis "side effect" that we have to deal with, but if it helps I'm all for it. Hope you get on ok with yours.

Sue x

fayrose

Oh goodness Wonks - what a wonderful picture that conjures up.
What was that weird film when old Schwzanegger (or whatever he's called) went about done up like you?

Come on girl, Hollywood could be a-waiting :eek: :eek:

elnafinn

Aw, dear Wonky, my heart goes out to you. It seems you are not alone with the gum shield though. It was suggested to me some time ago by a dentist I went to. Perhaps it will be the in thing like braces and most dentists will be telling their patients they grind their teeth and need one.

Chin up,
Love and hugs
Elna x

barbara12

Oh wonky
I really do feel for you, but like the others have said Mr wonky will love you whatever...I must say you dont half conjure some pics up.....and yes I am another dribbler...now see what you have done... :???: we are all coming out the woodwork...

frogmorton

Dentists tried to get me to have one of those a year or so back, but l wasn't prepared to cough up the £200 :???:

Serioulsy though - if it helps??

Worth a try??

Hope littlelegs has NOT been wearing it

Love

Toni xx

dorcas

Hi wonky

I now have a mental picture of you going to bed looking like one of those baseball players with all your night-time paraphernalia . :!:

seriously though....I so hope the mouth guard works and reduces the jaw pain.... that will make any indignity worthwhile.

Iris xxx

dreamdaisy

Hello wonky, do you have it yet and is it helping? DD

tjt6768

can you choose the colour? All I can picture is one made to look like comedy teeth, like Dick Emery used to wear as that Vicar :shock:
Oooh, I am awful, but you like me.. Lol (different character I know, but I can't remember what the Vicar used to say, lol)
I hope it helps Wonks

skezier

Hi Wonky,

Hope its going well and keep it well out the way of miss L Legs cus she might want to test it Hugs, slobber, slurps and love Cris xxx

Wonkylegs

I'm utterly and seriously :oops: :oops: :oops: that I've not been back on to post since Friday :oops: :oops: :oops:

thank you all for your very kind encouragement, advice and comments.

well ...... you were all right in varying degrees

It isn't at all as obvious as I thought it would be - think barely noticeable rather than rugby player type - tis clear silicone-like stuff, tho more solid if that makes sense. It fits only onto my bottom teeth, and barely touches the gums.

I was advised by the dentist to wear it in the evening whilst watching TV for the first few days, as apparently this helps one to get used to it and to reduce the chance of it being flung out mid-sleep

Things I have already learned about the mouth guard:

the phone will only ring when I'm wearing it :roll:

As soon as it enters my mouth the amount of saliva quadruples :roll: :eek:

my jaw has yet to find its new 'resting' position' but I can already feel that the muscles around my TMJ are more relaxed

Littlelegs isn't impressed! - the first evening she watched me put it in & waited ...... and demanded a good sniff when I took it out ..... before deciding that it wasn't of interest at all to her after all (phew!)

so tonight's the night ...... I'm going to try to wear it overnight.

Oh, and you're right Toni - the NHS deem such a tiny piece of work as a band 3 treatment because it has to be sent away to a lab. That would have been £207 including the check-up fee :shock: However
My dentist said that he wasn't prepared to charge people that much and gave me the choice of having it made privately for £90 or on the NHS. sorry NHS but I couldn't afford that much for something I couldn't know would work!

Right ..... off to brush my teeth and then ........

night all and thanks again

Wonky xxx

tjt6768

goodnight wonks, good luck..
Lol

skezier

Hi Wonky,

I hope it will so help..... and good luck tonight and well it might help give you better sleep as well.

Interesting to hear your jaw muscles are more relaxed and hope thats going to help lessen the jaw pain you have.

Hey she is very good cus my lot would eat it for sure.....

love, slurps, slobbers and pocket riffles Cris xx

Wonkylegs

collywobble wrote:

Hi Wonky

Sluuurp.....

Hope you're sleeping soundly there.

My dentist told me that they don't work for everyone, but if it does work, it can make a huge difference. I find, like you, my jaw seems to relax instantly when I need to wear it.

Seems like mine was a bargain at £50 (maybe it was a "preloved " one off ebay)

Lynn x

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: preloved :?: :shock: :shock: :shock: I nearly choked

Hey it was less of a problem than I'd feared, though I had to give in at 4am and take it out. my main problem is that I sleep mostly on my sides - alternating, and I found that I had too much pain in my left jaw to be able to side sleep. Sleeping on my back was a small price to pay last night but a bigger one today, so might have to work at that slowly.

not sure if I should sign off now as slurpy or wonky

hugs (((())))

a soon-to-be-slurpy wonky

elnafinn

Dear Wonky

I am relieved to hear that you and the mouth guard could become good friends. Sounds like you have a great dentist who does not wish to rob his patients and gave you two options of how to go about payng for it. I find it strange that the NHS route would have been well over double the price of the private one. Heyho the world has gone mad, I should have known. :roll: I was interested to hear how you got on with it, having had it suggested to me that I should perhaps wear one. I think you did well to wear it until around 4.00 am. on the first night and pleased that Littlelegs is no longer interested in it

I hope you are sleeping well, more than I am doing at 4.15 am! The old restless legs playing up again. I have found that after all my ops, I do not sleep well for a goodly while because of the RLS.

Love
Elna x

tjt6768

hi Wonks...
How goes it?
Are you getting used to wearing it yet?

theresa4

Hi wonky
I hope the mouth guard is still working for you. I had a soft one but it made my problems worse as I started getting really bad headaches it turned out I'd chewed it all night long. I then spent a fortune on a solid plastic one to get my jaw to sit in a proper position to rest and I broke that too luckily I didn't swallow the pieces I broke off. :shock: I'm now guard free and have to just put up with the pain from the jaw and the wasted money

Theresa x