(Please feel free to let me know if I’m posting in the wrong place)
So just yesterday, I went to a brand new dentist. It has been a very good while (2016…?) since I last went. I wanted to get an idea of what cavities I have and if my wisdom teeth could be potentially causing me issues. I’ve had ongoing jaw pain for the last 6 months or so.
Because I’m a new patient, I was able to get a deal that included an OPG.
Within a very short time, she points out my styloids and says they’re elongated.
I have never had this pointed out to me before; I didn’t know what she meant.
She immediately googles “eagle syndrome” and encouraged me to have a look into it. I’ve got a picture of both my OPG and the google search.
Well. I potentially have multiple issues that could be explained by eagle syndrome.
•My right ear has been funny, but I’ve had no other ear infection symptoms and it comes and goes a lot. Warm sensation, feels blocked.
•My jaw is annoying, what I thought was my wisdom teeth being aggravated and giving me headaches might be ES?
• I’ve also had, especially turning to my right, this super weird zapping pain from my neck into my temple.
•at times when I yawn I experience a click into my lower jaw.
•my throat does a weird crackle around my thyroid (but I have Hashis so I thought maybe it was that).
•mild migraines that last about a week that give me vertigo when I turn my head, I don’t get these all the time but have increased recently.
My jaw is feeling extra cranky and sore after my cleaning as well. Does anyone here experience increased pain after dental cleaning?
I’ve made an appointment to see my GP/doctor but she’s out of town until late Oct. so. Just trying to not freak out too much. Ha.
(Please note that the right side of the photo is actually my left side as described, I can see where they are as she showed me I just figured others may be interested )
Hi & welcome!
I had jaw pain & ear aches (without an infection) for years which I thought might’ve been wisdom teeth too, before I was diagnosed with ES, from a panoramic x-ray & at a dental clinic similar to you!
There’s lots of info in here about what the common ES symptoms are & what might be causing them: ES Information: Common Symptoms And Possible Explanations For Them - Welcome / Newbies Guide to Eagle Syndrome - Living with Eagle
The styloids can cause irritation or compression of the Trigeminal nerve & the Facial nerve, which can cause jaw pain, tooth aches, and the zapping sensations which you describe. It could be that the dental cleaning you had has aggravated the nerves too which is why you’re sore, although lots of members do also have TMJD alongside ES; did your dentist mention anything about that? I do still get flare ups of my Trigeminal nerve when I have my teeth cleaned at the dentist, it usually wears off after a few days…
Migraines are also common with ES, although obviously can have other causes.
Some members have the ligaments which run from the styloids to the hyoid bone calcify as well, and if they’re calcified around the hyoid bone it can cause crackling or snapping sensation, or the feeling of something clicking or catching in the throat when you swallow. That could possibly be what you’re feeling around your thyroid, although it could be something with the thyroid as you have issues with that. Quite a few members have had calcified thyroid nodules too…
If you’re able to get your GP to refer you for a CT scan, it would need to be from the base of the skull down to the hyoid bone, then this would show the styloids better and also if the ligaments are calcified further along. The radiologist should be asked to evaluate the scan for ES, making a note of the length and angle of the styloids and if there is any calcification. If you are able to get a CT with contrast, that would show if there’s any compression of the blood vessels; you mention that you get vertigo when you turn your head and that your ear feels blocked, so these could be from a blood vessel being temporarily compressed with your head in a certain position. Not everywhere does them, but some members have been able to get CT scans done dynamically, so with their head turned , which if you have symptoms in a certain position can show what’s going on. It’s not done very often though.
Hopefully you could be referred to one of the doctors on our list, or if they’re too far away, an ENT, Otolaryngologist, Skull base surgeon, head and neck vascular neurologist or head & neck cancer surgeon would hopefully help- treatment in Australia has been quite hard to get for our other members though, so it might all take a little while!
I appreciate the solidarity. She didn’t mention anything in particular about my wisdom teeth causing pain, but rather that I clench (I didn’t realise I did, but the wear signs on my teeth and grooves on my tongue/cheek made it obvious) and that I had styloid elongation. She mentioned some people get botox to help relax the muscles to help with jaw pain. But it does seem to be a common experience for those with ES. I wouldn’t say I don’t have TMJD but I don’t know for sure.
That makes sense about the cleaning, I’ve not had this issue before- so I’m guessing the styloid situation has progressed a fair bit since I last had a clean? Who knows.
I swear I could feel them when I was turning my head yesterday (yuck) but I could just be hyper aware because it’s new information and my jaw is sensitive atm.
Amazing info about the CT scan stuff. I will definitely keep it in mind when I chat with my doctor, hopefully there will be someone knowledgeable that she magically is aware of… but one step at a time
@Chels - Welcome to our forum. I was also surprised to get an ES diagnosis…especially when my doctor rattled off that “It’s calcification of the stylohyoid ligament” something I’ve never heard of let alone a styloid process! I could feel my left styloid under my jaw & my right one in the soft spot behind my earlobe so it is possible you can feel yours internally when moving your head.
I just looked up our Doctors List, & there are a couple of doctors in your area on our list.Though we haven’t heard much about them, it would be worthwhile asking for a referral to one or both if your doctor doesn’t have any suggestions since they are at least familiar w/ ES.
•Dr Ben Dixon, Epworth and ST Vincents Hospitals, Melbourne, QLD (ENT/Head and Neck Surgeon - mentioned by one member, another was seeing him, but no info as to whether he has performed surgery)
Thank you, Isaiah! I tried having a look at the list of doctors but I’ve been mostly navigating the forum on my phone so I think I missed them!
I had a look at your profile, I’m glad you were able to get yours removed and aren’t (I hope) feeling them anymore. I had thought perhaps my glands were swollen. But I swear when I massage near my jaw I can feel a bump with my finger on the right. Bleh.
As a side, I actually happen to blessedly live in a close distance to Logan hospital so that would be super convenient if I can get through the process eventually.
My glands under my jaw were a bit swollen & tender when I had ES. That is another symptoms one people have.
My ES symptoms are much improved since my surgeries in 2014/15, but I’ve found I have internal jugular vein compression which is potentially causing hearing loss so on to the next surgery to see if decompression of my IJV restores some hearing.
I’m really glad you’re close to Logan Hospital. I hope you get the answers you’re looking for from Dr. Whitfield.
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