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I’m waiting for partial dentures and neck/jaw/head pain

  • Thread starter Thread starter INFJ
  • Start date Start date
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INFJ

Member
Joined
May 10, 2018
Messages
39
Hi,

I’ve posted on here over the last few years because I’ve had some extractions. Due to IgA Deficiency and a hysterectomy, my teeth started to get all types of issues. I’ve been working with my Dentist and she decided I should just get partials and keep four teeth. One on each side of my mouth. She doesn’t feel comfortable doing full extractions of the mouth so I have been getting little by little done. She’s really busy too. Very good but very busy. I have one last set of extractions left (bottom center). This has taken six months. Since this first started I’ve gotten really bad jaw stiffness, neck and head pain. Neck pain is on both sides of my neck where it meets the jaw and then the pain goes upwards into the temples/back off head some. My jaw is now totally stiff and achy.

I’ve been told I have muscular TMD. That diagnosis was 10 years ago but it was always manageable. I also have stenosis in my neck but I’ve never had pain in the neck or more chronic headaches like I do now.

I am assuming that not having a lot of teeth in my mouth right now it’s causing the issues but I’m wondering a few questions:

1. Is that true? Lack of teeth can cause jaw stiffness due to bite off (I cannot find my bite at all, my lips want to rest on only teeth I have in the bottoms and it’s off) as well as the neck and temple/occipital pain?

2. Will this all get better once I get the dentures or will I need some sort of follow up treatment?

3. Why does jaw stiffness and a bite that is off due to lack of teeth cause neck pain and headaches?

4. Should I be going to a certain specialist right now for the daily stiffness and pain or wait until the oral surgery is completed?

Thanks so much.
 
Is that true? Lack of teeth can cause jaw stiffness due to bite off (I cannot find my bite at all, my lips want to rest on only teeth I have in the bottoms and it’s off) as well as the neck and temple/occipital pain?
Yes totally true.

2. Will this all get better once I get the dentures or will I need some sort of follow up treatment?
Probably. TMJ issues are a bit hard to predict but I'd expect a big improvement.

3. Why does jaw stiffness and a bite that is off due to lack of teeth cause neck pain and headaches?
It's a big subject, I really don't have the inclination to write an essay about it for you, sorry. Start here: https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/headaches/tmj-headache

4. Should I be going to a certain specialist right now for the daily stiffness and pain or wait until the oral surgery is completed?
No. Yes. :)
 
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