My Medical Disorder Is Cosmetic?

TMJ, or Temporomandibular joint disorder, involves problems with the chewing muscles and joints in the lower jaw. The pain can be caused by grinding of the teeth and a bad bite. I honestly didn't know I had TMJ until a few years ago, or I forgot about it. Trust me I have a bad memory. Because of my TMJ I have difficulty chewing certain foods. Tough meat is especially difficult for me to chew. I'm a singer and sometimes while I am singing my jaw locks. If that happens I usually have to work it out if I have a few measures, or I have to stop to work it out and start where I left off. When I'm acting sometimes my jaw locks, but then I can take a dramatic or comedic pause. TMJ is incredibly painful for me at times, especially in the winter. I have noticed this winter that the pain is more intense than in the summer. Also, I read online that TMJ is associated with fibromyalgia, which I also have. I don't know if that's true because not a lot is know about the causes of fibromyalgia, but almost everything I have I have read is associated with it. Obviously I don't know for sure. I am just going by what I read. My orthodontist gave me exercises that work a little, but he really wants me to get a mouth guard for night time. The problem is that even though the guard is for a medical problem, the insurence will not pay for it because they claim it's cosmetic. No one in my dentists office seems to agree. I don't understand how something that is to help improve or cure a proven medical problem is seen as cosmetic. Teeth whitening, braces, or retainers I can see as cosmetic. I don't see how TMJ is. I am a full time college student working part time, so I can't pay for the mouth guard. If the insurence won't cover it then I can't get it. I don't know what other options I have, but if I have to pay for them I can't get them or have them done. I'm not suprised that an insurence company calls a medical problem cosmetic. Too bad they're wrong like always. Oh, well it's not like it's going to kill me. Unless it gets to a point where I can't eat anything. If that happens I can always blend my food. YUCK!

Keep Livin'

Kayla Dawn

here's a link with information about TMJ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001227.htm