TMJ dysfunction thread

[jsilver256]

No, many NTs have TMJ.

I spent entirely too much time researching this, and found this :

Results: A total of 47 studies comprising 6885 autistic individuals were included in the review. Autistic individuals had significantly higher severity of dental-caries experience in primary teeth (SMD 0.29, 95%CI 0.02, 0.56), of dental plaque presence (SMD 0.59, 95%CI 0.24, 0.94), and of gingivitis (SMD 0.45, 95%CI 0.02, 0.88). Autistic individuals showed higher probability of occurrence of gingivitis (RR 1.34, 95%CI 1.08, 1.66,), bruxism (RR 4.23, 95%CI 2.32, 7.74), overjet (RR 2.16, 95%CI 1.28, 3.64), overbite (RR 1.62, 95%CI 1.02, 2.59), crossbite (RR 1.48, 95%CI 1.02, 2.13), and openbite (RR 2.37, 95%CI 1.46, 3.85), when compared to neurotypical individuals. Most estimates showed a small effect size with very low certainty of evidence.

Then this one:

Results: Children with ASD had significantly poorer oral hygiene and gingival condition than healthy children (P < 0.001 for both). No significant differences were found in caries prevalence or experience in primary or permanent dentition. More children with ASD behaved 'negatively' or 'definitely negatively' (37% and 11%) than did healthy controls (11% and 2%) (P < 0.0001). Self-injurious behaviour and bruxism were more practised by children with ASD (32% of children with ASD and 2% of healthy children, P < 0.001). More children with ASD had difficulty in accessing dental care (P = 0.002).

Caveat, there is a difference between sleep-bruxism and awake-bruxism. The wording of "behaviour" makes me think they're talking about more than sleep-bruxism, but who knows.

 

[scleod]

Do gentle massages of the area or applying heat to the joint help relax the jaw or ease the pain?

Thank you, I think eventually that will help. It is currently too bad to be manipulated right now.

 

[tree]

I found that when the large muscle felt like a slab of stone,
it helped to firmly, but gently stroke downwards against it
with index finger and thumb. So both sides are massaged
at once. (If that isn't clear, I mean, make a C shape with your
hand.)

 

[scleod]

I spent entirely too much time researching this, and found this :



Then this one:



Caveat, there is a difference between sleep-bruxism and awake-bruxism. The wording of "behaviour" makes me think they're talking about more than sleep-bruxism, but who knows.

These are very interesting facts and figures. I think what they are referring to in "behaviours" are stimming behaviours in children that have ASD that can cause Harm. Thus it wouldnt be involuntary is what they are THINKING (not enough data to support) so they are referring to it as a behaviour. That is a weird debate for a whole other forum; are stims voluntary or involuntary. Some people agree and some people don't.


I think what that study is seeing is the pattern of people with ASD use; clenching, grinding, gnawing to stim. Just like some bite their lips or chews their nails. For some reason our teeth have been likened to a lot of self soothing patterns and it presents itself in children.

 

[Tom]

I don't think it is an autism related thing. My wife developed it and was treated fairly succesfully with dental work and a retainer (mouth piece). That was back around 1993 when it was first becoming well known. She's NT.

 

[Levitat0r]

I had my left TMJ utterly "resorb", which I would describe more like "dissolve". The bone basically decays into a disgusting grease-like substance and it seeps out of your gums, and it tastes terrible. From an autism, perspective, I would attribute the cause to a dumb ritual that I indulged in, which would exert a twist on my jaw, and probably eventually triggered some sort of inflammatory process which destroyed the joint. I would blow off steam by pretending to be some really pretentious and self-involved combination of Fred Durst and Captain Picard.
Anyway, I think it's significant firstly because now you know not to irritate that joint because it's really fragile.

Secondly, I had two medical opinions, from an orthodontist and a hospital, stating that I needed over $10,000 in reconstructive surgery, and that they were going to remove the good side, too, since it was no longer found reliable by precedent. I prayed about it, and it healed in a really implausible and near-perfect way. I have an email from my orthodontist stating that he's never seen anything like it. It's worth noting that before it healed, my jaw was canted sideways, I had a wide-open bite, and was forced to chew with two teeth. I can chew normally again.

 

[Levitat0r]

I had my left TMJ utterly "resorb", which I would describe more like "dissolve". The bone basically decays into a disgusting grease-like substance and it seeps out of your gums, and it tastes terrible. From an autism, perspective, I would attribute the cause to a dumb ritual that I indulged in, which would exert a twist on my jaw, and probably eventually triggered some sort of inflammatory process which destroyed the joint. I would blow off steam by pretending to be some really pretentious and self-involved combination of Fred Durst and Captain Picard.
Anyway, I think it's significant firstly because now you know not to irritate that joint because it's really fragile.

Secondly, I had two medical opinions, from an orthodontist and a hospital, stating that I needed over $10,000 in reconstructive surgery, and that they were going to remove the good side, too, since it was no longer found reliable by precedent. I prayed about it, and it healed in a really implausible and near-perfect way. I have an email from my orthodontist stating that he's never seen anything like it. It's worth noting that before it healed, my jaw was canted sideways, I had a wide-open bite, and was forced to chew with two teeth. I can chew normally again.

I was still kind of skeptical about faith, so I prayed "Well, in theory, if this is a punishment, I should be able to stop what I'm doing and be be unpunished, right?" And I thought I heard "Well, let's see what you wind up deserving...". So, I quit that habit. It might have taken at least a year, maybe two, and then abruptly, over the course of maybe two months, the teeth all came back together. I was perturbed at first when my other teeth began knocking together again, that maybe it was shifting, so that could only be worse. But the teeth all eventually came together again, and I can chew gum and steak and take the paper sleeve off a straw with my incisors, so that ticks all of the functionality boxes for me.