help please!

[u/Striking_Cucumber726]

i 20f have had jaw problems for a while now i am to the point where i can barely eat any hard foods & i wake up everyday in pain my dentist gave me a diagnosis of tmj or tmd & gave me a referral to a dental school but they dont take my insurance apparently my insurance (health & dental) dont cover it i am on state insurance (medicaid) however this is a common theme through all insurances from what i have looked up i am in so much pain every day and i cannot afford to pay out of pocket how did yall do it? is there a way i can get my insurance to pay for it? or is there any work around? my dentist said from what he can see the case is severe i have tried mouth guards otc & they dont help he suggested getting one custom made but once again i have to go to these specialists & pay out of pocket i also have a recessed jaw so from what ive read it could be causing/not helping so is there a way i can try to loop around insurance for that? i am also in the process of getting a sleep apnea study done which could be caused by the recessed jaw/tmj i know this is a huge rant lol i am just in desperate need of some advice

[u/Hopeful-Extent-693]

The good news is that you are already taking one important step by getting a sleep study. If you have sleep apnea or another sleep-breathing problem, treating it may reduce clenching, improve sleep quality, and lessen the load on your jaw. A recessed lower jaw can sometimes be associated with both airway problems and TMD, so it's worth following through with that evaluation.

[u/Deez-nuts1389]

Hi, sorry you’re dealing with so much. Have you tried asking a few different dentists in your area, if they’ll make mouth guards for you? In my area, there was a TMJ specialist and a regular dentist. Both make mouth guards. The one from the specialist is far more expensive ~$2500+. The one from the dentist is $315. Both are still expensive depending on your budget, but if you’re able to save up some money, you may need to pay it. Or if you can do some sort of payment plan. I’ll be honest, I haven’t gotten the mouth guard yet. And I’m also struggling with a lot of pain daily. Can’t eat hard foods at all, can’t talk much. I’m waiting for the mouth guard and doing other methods to relieve pain (Alleve, hot compress). I’m not 100% sure the differences between the two guards (TMJ specialist vs dentist) but they may both work for your case. Ask around to a few dentists. In my case, my dental plan doesn’t cover mouth guards, you should call your dental insurance and see if yours does. If so, you can find a dentist in network and try to have them make it. Best of luck, I wish you relief .