Getting a Nightguard for my TMJ

A few weeks ago, I went to the dentist for my regular cleaning. While there, I told them about my trouble with TMJ. One of the dentists, I think named Christi, said she had the same problem, and felt glad to know someone else did. She told me that when I came back for my filling, they would take an impression for a Nightguard. That happened today.

They started out by doing my filling. I have had this done before, so it went well. The old filling had become ground down, probably from my TMJ. The local anesthetic made my gums feel a little cold, as if exposed to ice. It always feels weird to have someone else working on your body, I felt like a computer on which I would work – all laid out, my hand grappling with a PCI card or a SATA connector. For a computer person, hardware pisses me off.

That brings us to the novel part of the visit, taking the impression for the Nightguard. I have to put it in my mouth at night when I sleep to help align my jaw. Dr. Miller couldn’t promise that it would cure me, but that hopefully it would help. She asked if I wanted to postpone it and go to a TMJ specialist, but added that many patients just come back for a Nightguard anyway. My gut said go for it so I did.

The other dentist named Yetta (she wanted me to get the spelling right when I said I would blog this) started mixing up this nasty-sounding crap in a bowl. She described it as kind of like making cake mix, and compared it to play-dough. I asked if this would taste really nasty. She said not really, it has a slight mint flavor. They have flavors to go with it, but they just make it taste worse. Good to know.

She put the stuff in a tray, told me to open my mouth, and smushed it down over my bottom teeth. It molded and felt weird. It hardened in about a minute. We repeated the procedure on my top teeth and roof of my mouth. I rolled some of the “dough” into a little egg, and watched it harden. I also got some of the crap in my beard, which sort of sucked. I got cleaned up well enough though, and rinsed my mouth out. I will come back in two weeks, and they will have it ready for me. I’ll let you know. I hope this helps others with TMJ. I still feel sort of out of it, but good. By the way, if you live in the area then you should go where I go. I’ve gone there since childhood.

Decrescenzo, Dante:

145 N Narberth Ave.

Narberth, Pennsylvania

610.667.6630.

Tell them I sent you!