My jaw hasn’t improved in the 5 days I started taking 3 tablets of ibuprofen twice a day along with the warm compress. The good part is, at least the ibuprofen took away the pain, so I was able to eat food normally.
I called the dentist again and he referred me to a Dr Yoshiyoka (I think that was his name), a TMJ specialist. The earliest appointment is on the 16th.
Also, it’s going to be expensive to get my pain to go away it seems. Damn insurance companies. I read on CNN or LA Times that insurance companies use an out-of-date database (or several) to determine the cost of medical care and how much they’re going to cover. Of course, they underpay the doctors and get away with millions in their own pockets. I have to pay $350 on my first visit because I’m going to an out-of-network doctor. I asked which insurance company he’s under, because for curiosity’s sake. He’s not with any. Geez. Seriously, our health care system is broken.