In my case, it was more of a dental hygeniest and less of the dentist. Regardless, my appointment went as follows:

  • Came in. Remembered how much I dislike the smell of the dentist.
  • Do I have any problems or heath changes? No…but I do find myself clenching my jaw a lot.
  • Teeth cleaning.
  • Do I floss regularly? No…I’ve not been really good about it lately.
  • I need to do it daily. Or come in more than once a year.
  • Jaw pain. Having trouble keeping it open…
  • More teeth cleaning.
  • Dentist visit. Counts my teeth (yes, they’re all there…)
  • Hygienist comments on “TMJ on the right side.”
  • Do I grind? No, just clench…
  • Do I feel stressed? Yes, but no more than average.
  • Solution:
  1. Don’t open my mouth wider than necessary.
  2. Try not to yawn.
  3. Eat big sandwiches with a fork and knife.
  4. Don’t move my jaw from side to side.
  5. Don’t bite threads.
  6. Take muscle relaxants – samples enough to keep me dopey for three days.
  • The end.

Conclusion: Floss. Rest my jaw (I know, that one will open the door for lots of comments…). Take drugs.