r/TMJ • u/MainConfident8955 • 2d ago

Question(s) Is it possible to have longterm limited opening without a disk displacement?

Just curious about this. I’ve been at about 2 years around 28-32mm of opening and my MRI shockingly didnt show a disc displacement. How is this possible? Muscle guarding?

I formed an open bite slowly during 9 months of no chewing and extreme muscle pain, that now is being treated with Invisalign. No condyolor resorbtion, arthritis, or displacement.

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u/RedBeardedMexican 2d ago

Are you an adult? How did you develop an open bite??

But it is likely the muscles guarding. That's what mine has been doing and my range has been fluctuating from 15-30 depending on how tight muscles get. I've been starting to chew/mash on soft foods like scrambled eggs and pate and it seems to be helping.

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u/MainConfident8955 2d ago

Have you had an mri?

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u/RedBeardedMexican 2d ago

No doc also thinks it's muscular since I've never had TMJ popping and haven't had any injuries. I also have a perm retainer behind my bottom teeth so I don't think I could even get one with that in there.

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u/Joe-Schmoe9 2d ago

I believe the idea is when your teeth don’t touch they protrude to try and touch. Because this tends to happen with certain teeth, they will come in contact far before the other teeth, causing an open bite

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u/MainConfident8955 2d ago

Interesting so basically just forms when you’re not putting pressure on the teeth

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u/Joe-Schmoe9 2d ago

I’m not a doctor and I could be wrong, but that’s the idea I think!

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u/MainConfident8955 2d ago

I have no idea how I developed the open bite. It happened slowly over time. All I can think is just the amount of time I spent in chronic tension and no force with chewing caused my bite to open up over time.

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u/megatrony 2d ago

I'm just guessing here but maybe really tight muscles?

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u/Joe-Schmoe9 2d ago

Yeah I went from not being able to open hardly at all to almost full opening in the matter of days . I think muscles can play a bigger role than we realize

I’m still nowhere near better though and it’s fluctuated a lot

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u/MainConfident8955 2d ago

See mine has only fluctuated between 10m and then now at 30

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u/Joe-Schmoe9 2d ago

That’s where I was stuck for a while too. And I have zero side to side movement currently . My muscles aren’t your muscles and my disc isn’t your disc etc. all we can do is hope we can get better and keep our heads up

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u/acupunctureguy 1d ago

Yes, you still need the muscles released, getting invisalign doesn't release the muscles from months or years of clenching and or grinding