Could TMJ Be the Real Cause?

In my short time with tinnitus, I have noticed that there seems to be a thousand different apparent causes. Since I have really bad OCD, I will literally research everything for hours on end. One of the issues that I came across that makes sense in my case is TMJ.

Since I was 15 years old (I am 28 now), I have grinded my teeth every single night during sleep. My molars and even a few of my front teeth are now completely flat because of the severity of my grinding.

For the past few years, I have worn Invisalign style retainers while sleeping in order to keep my teeth straight. One added benefit is that I am no longer wearing down my teeth, but I am still grinding and probably putting pressure on my jaw.

For other medical issues in the past, I have wasted a ton of money on trying to find the cause. Is it possible that TMJ is a REAL cause of tinnitus? I would love to just begin the process of habituating to my tinnitus, but I do not want to rule TMJ out if other members have experience.

 

One important thing that I forgot in the original post is that the area where my TMJ joint is on both sides of my face and the area under my ears going down the sides of my jaw are extremely sensitive to alcohol and sugary drinks.

If I drink alcohol or soda, I will get the worst shooting pain in those areas, so something isn't right.

 

I think you should see a TMJ specialist, I know I am waiting for an appointment right now.
My cause is from noises, but lately it has become worse and I have always been grinding teeth on and off for the past few years. However, if I get really stressed, like T can do with you, I will do it even more. So I do believe TMJ has been the cause for my increase, and I want to see how much it is related (or not at all) and maybe get some help.
TMJ can absolutely cause T.

 

Could definitely be from TMJ, but best thing would be to see a TMJ specialist.

 

Worth getting checked from your dentist or a maxillofacial specialist.
Keep to a soft food diet and cut meat up smaller and don't over byte Apple's ....lots of love glynis

 

TMJ is what one of my doctor's has suggested as part of what causes/worsens my tinnitus. For me it was probably a combination of things, but I think it is worth checking it out with a specialist.

 

I've had T for about a year now and I'm finally able to feel some relief! My Audiologist and Dentist who is also a TMJ specialist diagnosed me with TMJD. My dentist has me in treatment where he made me a custom splint and hooks me up to a TENS machine for an hour every time I go in for an appointment.

My Audiologist also prescribed me to Tanaken ginkgo biloba 80 mg and said that this medicine and with the tmj treatment I currently am in will make my Tinnitus completely go away in a couple months.

I have been doing this treatment for the past 3 weeks. The first two weeks I didn't really notice a difference and started loosing hope. The third week, WOW, from a 1 to 1o (10 being the loudest) my T went down from a constant annoying 6 or 7 to a 1, maybe a 2.

After a couple dead ends with multiple ENTs and being misdiagnosed for Meniere's, I am finally able to feel some relief!!

For the first time in a long time I am starting to feel hopeful for the future! In my opinion my TMJ treatment has been completely worth it. Hope this helps!

 

What is your tinnitus sound like and how did it start? How do you determine if it is related to TMJ?

 

I am interested in what part of the country you live in as I would love to go to the doctors you found that have helped you....we get so desperate ,don't we?

 

I have had tinnitus for 5 monthsand was just diagnosed with TMJD last week. My jaw locked up after yard work, and my T when to 10 and now my dentist said my TMJ is very bad and most likely the root for my Tinnitus. I get my splints in 2 week's and I've been taken ginkgo but they don't see the Tanaken brand in US.

 

I think TMJ is more likely to be something that contributes to tinnitus than something which causes it; I've seen a lot more anecdotal cases of people seeing zero to some improvement in T from TMJ treatment, than cases of it going away entirely.

If you've got severe TMJ though there are a lot of compelling reasons to do something about it, so really I'd say just treat it without assuming it's going to do much for your ears, and be happy if it does.