My DS expects to be appointed to USAFA soon. He recently has been complaining about Jaw pain, including clicking and popping. I chalk most of this up to the stress of college/academy admission, and senior year stresses. This condition is not debilitating, and frankly I hate to start the resolution of this condition and have DoDmerb reopened. Any advice regarding getting through BCT and if it is still an annoyance, have the Dentist at the academy examine him and make a TMJ night guard appliance for him? I'm assuming this will be the route since my civilian nephew went through the same thing (he outgrew TMJ and didn't wear that mouth guard like he was supposed to!) Does the Academy supply things like night guards? Thanks.
Dental question - TMJ
- Thread starter IloveUSA
- Start date
Don't know anything about how academies view this or whether DoDMERB should be updated at this point, but I would caution waiting until he's at the academy for treatment. My daughter (not my service academy child) complained about the issues you mention (pain, clicking, popping) toward the end of the summer before her senior year of high school. By fall, the popping had gotten worse, but as you say, not debilitating - she said it was really just annoying and she was having very little pain. By the turn of the new year, she could no longer fully open her mouth. She was diagnosed with a "closed lock" due to TMJ and various things were tried (mouth appliance, PT) but ultimately she needed arthrocentesis surgery to clean out the joint and get it unlocked. That was followed by more PT to get her back to a normal status for how wide she could open her mouth. We were fortunate that it did not impact her ability to start college the following fall (music major with voice being primary instrument). I know that my daughter's is an extreme example of TMJ progression and complications and that it is highly unlikely that your son would have similar issues, but perhaps if we'd done something right away, my daughter wouldn't have needed surgery at all.
Could he get a check up?
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2020
- Messages
- 1,095
Also for anyone who has popping but not pain, in my experience, the doctors said it was fine. Just a the way my jaw was. For example I can pop both my jaws about 20 times and then I get a little pain, and it fades once I stop popping it. This is NOT TMJ. TMJ is popping and clicking with pain. Went to two doctors ( because I needed to know before sending in medical) and they both said it's not TMJ.
Had similar issue but it went away. I discovered that I naturally hold a lot of stress in my jaw. I googled a few exercises on how to relieve tension in my jaw area and found that it really helped. Once I started doing my “jaw stretches” it helped with the popping.
Goodness! She had it tough. Thanks for sharing and I'll definitely take that into consideration. I hope she's doing well now.
Based on my nephew's experience I didn't want to start this given that there are 4 months until BCT.
Thanks. She's doing great, still, and it's been 4 years. Like I said, her progression was certainly not common, and because her pain diminished over time (or perhaps she was downplaying it or simply became accustomed to it which would be in her nature), I sort of just let it go as not a big deal. In any case, her surgery was a big success, she only had to wear mouthguards to support the joint for about 6 months post-surgery and her PT quickly got her mouth opening back up into a range that is normal. It has not impacted her singing and she's now about to start her required internship to become a music therapist.
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Messages
- 24,109
If your DS receives an offer of appointment, the latest version of the appointee info booklet will be provided. Much does not change.
See p.19 and 23. Appointees are expected to update changes in their medical history.
Dental care in the military is comprehensive, once you’re in.
I believe the link below is the current DoD accession standard. See p. 16.
I always put health first to see where you are - especially if pain is in the picture - but I’m someone way up in the bleachers on this one.
Of course, posting this in the DoDMERB thread will likely bring @MullenLE ’s usual offer, as Deputy Director, DoDMERB, to communicate directly with the candidate and give official insight, and he is likely to see this anyway here in this forum. He would also then know your son’s identity if they communicated.
Worst case, every year, there are appointees who get a late-breaking pop-up condition, illness or injury. DoDMERB clearances and waiver processes can go right down to the wire. If an appointee is not cleared to report, Admissions will work with them to determine a re-admission plan for the next cycle.
The military works very hard to bring in people who are starting from the healthiest baseline possible, hence the request and expectation medical histories wil be updated.