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Worried about dental exam with TMJ syndrome

J

jen.harkness

Former Member
I have an appointment on 12th July for a "check up" with a new dentist. I haven't seen a dentist in almost 10 years and I'm VERY anxious about it.

One specific thing that worries me is that I think I might have TMJ syndrome - I can't open my mouth very wide - three fingers causes a lot of pain, anything more than that is completely impossible (I'm not sure how wide you're supposed to be open though!) But even at two finger breadths, I can't really keep my mouth open for more than about a minute at a time without causing a lot of pain in my jaw.

How long does a check up take? How long am I going to have to have my mouth open for? And what if I need fillings (which I'm pretty sure I will), how do they do it if I can't really hold my mouth open?
 
Tell your new dentist about your TMJ problems. You can stop for a rest every few seconds, no problem. If you need fillings then a small "prop" can be used to support your mouth and help with the joint, or else the filling could be done in short stages.
Maybe your new dentist will be able to treat your TMJ as well, you never know ;D
 
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