Total Freak

Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I'm a little quirky... and I don't just mean my fear of birds or feet or the joy that comes to me when I read recipes. A recent, shall we say quirk, that has developed is a defective jaw.

I first noticed it when I was working on a very chewy granola bar last week and my jaw felt really sore & kind of loose. After that, I found that occasionally when I opened my mouth too wide, or moved it in a certain way, it would pop out of joint completely, and I couldn't get it back in. Conveniently, this happened minutes before I was to speak in front of 800 college students. Thankfully, it popped back in before I went up front, and I was able to open and close my mouth the the greatest of ease while giving my riveting talk.

Since then, any time I open my mouth just a little too wide, it slides out of joint and stays out for... well, as long as it wants. On Saturday, I couldn't close my mouth for about 1/2 hour. On Sunday for a few minutes while we were eating lunch with friends, I couldn't smile or laugh. I have to cut my food into tiny bites and make sure it's nothing too chewy or sticky. I'm a total freak.

My question is: what should I do? Do I see a dentist? An Orthodontist? A Chiropractor? My dental insurance sucks, plus it totally hurts when it pops out of joint, so the last thing I want to do it sit in a dentist chair with my mouth wide open. Such a dilemma.

I wish, sometimes, that I had normal problems, like a fear of spiders or public speaking. For now, I fear giant bagel sandwiches and laffy taffy.