Joanie--Where do you live? There is a craniofacial pain center at Tufts dentistry school in Boston that is terrific for TMJ. Unfortunately TMK falls between the cracks " of medicine, physical therapy, dentistry, etc. And as someone said above, it has many different causes. Some of the things that a place like Tufts might suggest: - A night guard, but one specifically for TMJ. They're different from the ones made for grinding, although they help with that too. The TMJ guards have a protuberance on top that holds your lower jaw in a certain position. - Manipulative physical therapy. These are the folks who actually lay hands on you. For TMJ, the physical therapist snaps on some latex gloves and actually massages pressure points inside your mouth. There are several jaw muscles that are hard to manipulate and cannot be relaxed through stretching etc. This can be a huge help. (If you can't find one of these professionals locally, at least buy a book about trigger points.) - Posture work. Someone can show you on a demonstration skeleton how a problem with back posture, shoulders, hips, knees or even feet can cause you to hold the jaw in a bad position. For example, tilt your hips, and y our shoulders have to tilt in the opposite direction. Then your neck tilts sideways to compensate. It's the way we're built. Computer work is a particularly bad offender when it comes to posture. - Relaxation techniques. As someone said above, stress isn't a particularly good word here. You can be happy as a clam and get terrible neck or TMJ pain from working at a computer without good eyeglasses. There is lots that can be done.

The consensus in the lactation and health arenas is that you should continue to nurse as long as both you and your child would like. No rules! Every day (or month, or year) is great for both of you. This is a personal thing between mother and child, and children who no longer care to nurse, for whatever reason, simply stop showing interest. Other people may continue to have opinions on this and other aspects of your life, mothering and otherwise, but hey! Only you know what works for you, and feels good. What works may vary from mom to mom, and from child to child. For the record, La Leche League has no official recommendations on length of nursing, just plenty of information and a great network for mothers, health care professionals, etc. There are articles and links on the website. If issues come up (from biting to nosy neighbors) meetings are a great place to check in for both parenting and lactation feedback/dialogue. If there are no meetings in your area you can check out online meetings through the website. There isn't one way to nurse -- both a good thing and a challenge! For those of you out there "still nursing," enjoy! Soon enough children grow up and that nursing season is a sweet memory. Like other sweet memories, we tend not to wish we spent less time cuddling those closest to us. And nursing is, first and last, a great cuddle, with nutrition and immune factors a fabulous side bonus! Here is a link that might be useful: La Leche League International

Thanks, Marcopolo5. I have a three-tooth bridge (right front tooth and back). All my lower front teeth are 'mine'. Orthodontist pulled my four 'corners' in the old, dark days when they did that sort of thing. (Consequence being teeth tilting as I age.) I also have three of my four wisdom teeth. (Fourth never came through and is not visible on X-ray.) Then there are the gold inlays, onlays, etc. I've been a 'gold mine' for dentists over my almost-75 years, but I can still *chew*. I see two 'brands' mentioned here: Crest and Plus White. May I presume to ask further free advice about what to try?

OJ, you are indeed a joy. I might be moving next door. sammy -- what she said ;). You can also put extra Sensodyne on your DRY toothbrush and you can, after brushing gently, leave the S'dyne on your teeth for a few minutes. There's no rush to remove it. Another good product (I've used it for many years) is Colgate Previ-Dent. It remineralizes the enamel (there is some ion exchange that goes one). The enamel gets "harder" (stronger). You must use it daily/or nightly. I grew up drinking un-fluoridated water, unfortunately. But with daily flossing, rinsing (privately swishing) after meals, using a good toothbrush (Oral-B is better than the "ultrasonic" brand, IMO) with a light touch and 3 seconds per surface (buccal and lingual -- no need to brush the chewing surface), I have greatly reduced cavities and my dental bills. I also pay extra (no insurance, cash) for a good prosthodontist (Spelling off?) who is picky nit picky :-) I had my teeth whitened many years ago. Whew! They got so very sensitive. I' like to lighten them again, but cannot afford to. So please let us know how your strips or gels work. As most people age, apparently they get long in the tooth as well as dark. Thinner enamel with the darker dentin showing through.) I hope you feel more comfortable soon, always---.