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

Wonkylegs
Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
edited 5. Oct 2011, 03:10 in Living with Arthritis archive
......... 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 :wink::lol::lol::lol:

whatever will my hubby be thinking :lol::lol::lol::lol:

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

WOnky

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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! :smile: Good luck, I sincerely hope it helps. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Wonky I hope the mouth guard helps

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

    Juliepf x
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Wonky,

    You will look lovely :lol: 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 :lol:

    Love, slurps, slobber and bounces ( and thats from me :lol: ) Cris xxx
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    skezier wrote:
    Love, slurps, slobber and bounces ( and thats from me :lol: ) 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.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hey Sticky I did say i wouldn't admit it :lol::lol: xx
  • ironic
    ironic Member Posts: 2,361
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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... :lol:

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

    Lv, I x
  • nanasue
    nanasue Member Posts: 465
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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
    fayrose Member Posts: 241
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :lol::lol::lol: 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: :grin: :eek:
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,280
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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... :lol:
    Love
    Barbara
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,336
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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 :lol:

    Love

    Toni xx
  • dorcas
    dorcas Member Posts: 3,516
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi wonky :grin:

    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. :grin:

    Iris xxx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello wonky, do you have it yet and is it helping? DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • tjt6768
    tjt6768 Member Posts: 12,170
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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: :lol:
    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 :grin:
    e050.gifMe-Tony
    n035.gifRa-1996 -2013 RIP...
    k040.gif
    Cleo - 1996 to 2011. RIP
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Wonky,

    Hope its going well and keep it well out the way of miss L Legs cus she might want to test it :lol: Hugs, slobber, slurps and love Cris xxx
  • Wonkylegs
    Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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 :wink::lol:

    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 :wink:

    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 :grin:

    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!) :lol::lol:

    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. :grin::grin: 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 ........ :lol::lol::lol::wink:

    night all and thanks again

    Wonky xxx
  • tjt6768
    tjt6768 Member Posts: 12,170
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    goodnight wonks, good luck..
    Lol :wink:
    e050.gifMe-Tony
    n035.gifRa-1996 -2013 RIP...
    k040.gif
    Cleo - 1996 to 2011. RIP
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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
    Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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) :mrgreen:

    Lynn x

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

    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 :lol::lol:

    hugs (((())))

    a soon-to-be-slurpy wonky :wink:
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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 :lol:

    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
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • tjt6768
    tjt6768 Member Posts: 12,170
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi Wonks...
    How goes it?
    Are you getting used to wearing it yet?
    :grin:
    e050.gifMe-Tony
    n035.gifRa-1996 -2013 RIP...
    k040.gif
    Cleo - 1996 to 2011. RIP
  • theresa4
    theresa4 Member Posts: 696
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    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 :cry: from the jaw and the wasted money :lol:

    Theresa x
    There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those. --Michael Nolan



    Theresa xxx