margaret@asgb.UUCP (01/23/85)
<bugs with TMJ can't eat this line> I suffered from a severe case of TMJ from the time I was 13 until I was 17. For several years, its main manifestation was a constant earache, accompanied by intermittant (sp?) headaches. I was treated for everything from ear infections to allergies. I finally diagnosed myself after reading an article in Reader's Digest. I went to a dentist in town (Ft. Collins, CO) who was familiar with TMJ problems. He took a casting of my teeth, and found that they were no longer correctly aligned (thanks to a tonsillectomy when I was 13). I was fitted with a cast plastic retainer that helped to hold my teeth in the proper position at night. I wore this every night for a year, and periodically (1-2x per month) after that. The earache subsided in a couple of weeks, and the headaches soon after that. There are several new types of treatment available. I would recommend seeking them out before opting for surgery. Margaret Brown Burroughs ASG Boulder, CO ....bmcg!asgb!margaret