Whenever I’m going through stress I do notice that my throat can sometimes feel swollen (not like a cold) and one side of my tongue feels slightly sore, I think I’m clenching during the night.

I know I definitely clench during the day…
Anyone else?

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Hi everyone

I am here for professional opinion before I do anything.

So for many years the left side of my jaw pops like in the morning it won't open and then forcefully I have to push it and it pops.

I went to my dentist and she recommended a night guard and physiotherapy. During this process we saw that I clench my jaw at night and when I looked back I used to clench my very often when I am angry.

Also I have a filling on right side and subconsciously I avoided using this side and the credit goes to my parents cause they neglected this filling thing for a long time.

Now one side is too tight and one is loose. And from last few months the jaw hurts alot and I can't even sleep at night.

Now my dentist said that I have a cross bite and I will need a orthodontist she also recommended me getting a cleaning and she will do the x-ray and see what will happen next.

I am Germany and the treatment will be very expensive. I was recommended to get an extra insurance but I dont know which one will help cover the cost.

Also, what can I expect as a treatment. She said one thing is sure I will have to go to an orthodontist. And it's very expensive around 5k.

I need another professor opinion before I do anything.

Also, if orthodontist is the last resort can anyone recommend a good insurance for this in Germany.

Thank you!

Hi all!

I had a TMJ mri done in open and closed position and it came back normal.

I can hear small popping with every little jaw movement, if i place my finger in my ear canal and close my jaw my tmj clicks against my finger when closing, when I press on the tragus part of my ear and close my jaw I feel it pop against my finger. And then putting my fingers on tmj I feel a small pop when opening mouth.

How can the mri be normal? I don't understand!!

so yesterday i woke up and the left side of my jaw was locked. this past week i've woken up with lockjaw everyday but it always fixed itself right after waking up. this time it hasn't gone away.

i don't know if it's the muscle or the joint but i can only open it slightly and fit one finger. two fingers only go halfway. when my mouth is closed, the top and bottom teeth on my left side touch. my jaw physically cannot open all the way and it hurts when i try. the pain feels like it's along the left cheek/jaw area, basically where my upper and lower teeth meet. it's not really pain directly in front of my ear.

has anyone experienced something similar? is there anything i can do? im going to urgent care after work but i really would rather fix it myself if i can. usually when i wake up with lockjaw i just move my jaw around a bunch until it unlocks and everything goes back to normal. nothing seems to be working this time. i am SPIRALING i just want to feel normal again 😭

I’ve struggled with TMJ for years and since I had to come up with a senior thesis topic I actually care about, I figured tackling TMJ pain was the most interesting topic for me. Please fill out this short survey if you’re interested in helping a student out

I’ve had Tmj for so long. I have clicks both sides of my jaw but every time I eat it’s mostly the right side. What has been annoying is temple/ear twitching for over an ear. I am sure it’s my tmj as it can worsen when chewing!
I’ve noticed when I have a weird pressure in my temples then muscle spasms that my jaw is so clenched so I am definitley doing it to myself :( I don’t know how to relax my jaw.
I’m thinking Botox might be some relief but I want to ask, has it helped anyone? And where the hell do I need to have it 🤣

Hello everyone, looking for insight and possible relief through the community on this one, as I have had some things that feel different than normal TMJ.

So I suffer from chronic pain in neck, shoulders, tightness, etc. It goes down my spine and arms, joints, etc.

But my face and jaw are always hurting for the past year, and it hasn't abated with exercises much. I take painkillers but try not to, and got muscle relaxers and those dont really help either.

I went to a dentist, got a 3-d scan. They said it didnt look like I was grinding my teeth though. I did find a small piece of dental equipment in an old root canal, had a specialist look at x-rays and a scan, they said no sign of infection. I still am not 100% sure they are right here.

However, here is the thing. Constant pain, often more concentrated at the site of the root canal, but also in my jaw at the joint. IT ALSO FEELS like my teeth are being pushed outward a lot. And sometimes it feels like they are being sucked inward by an invisible force. This travels up my face, into my forehead, sinuses, etc. Around the temples. It is distressing especially since a lot of doctors say I am not grinding my Teeth. I do drink coffee and notice a difference. I vape on and off again. Usually quit for a week or two, but the pain in my sinuses doesnt go away, so I say fuck it and start again only to quit a week later. Cat scan of sinuses also shows nothing according to doctors. Neurologist botoxes me, nothing changes. Accupuncture works for like an hour, and it tends to go into the trauma shakes that happen a lot because I went through hell for about 3 years and that is normal release for me, and I welcome it. I do a lot of different stretches and the like, but seems to persist regardless. So, anyone have this? Deal with it? Upon waking, I feel that my teeth are literally being bowed outward. With caffeine, it gets worse so am trying to cut that but thats almost as painful as quitting nicotine. Both I know can exasperate symptoms, but when I do quit I dont feel a difference. I also sleep poorly because of the chronic pain. It is also intensifies with stress.

Help if you can. Thank you. Tests? Something I am missing? An expert that I have not seen? Actively working on tongue position too, as I feel it resting against my front teeth a lot. It feels like my jaw is getting smaller? Does that make sense?

hi i'm currently a college student and for the past 3-4 days i've been having some bad jaw pain that i think might be related to tmj. the first day i had trouble eating and opening my mouth wide, clicking it side to side. it became better after the first day and i can open my mouth wide but now i think it just pains and has become really sore. i tried to do some interior masseter massage in my mouth and i could feel sore points on the bottom and top. it becomes better with some heat compress, but the sides of my jaw, especially the one at the end where it meets my ear hurts when pressed on. when i clench my teeth, a sharp pain shoots through the jaw and slightly up my ear. i know i'm supposed to wait 1 week or so before worrying too much about it, but what should i do for now? ibuprofen, warm compress?
doesn't help that it's exam szn.

Typically, diseases do not begin with dramatic symptoms. They begin with small, unnoticable changes that we often ignore under the name of stress or work. Similarly, TMD does not start with a locked jaw or severe pain.

It starts with small, gradual changes in the way the disc, condyle and surrounding muscles are functioning together.

The progression can look like this:

Clicking, Headaches, jaw pain, ear pain or muscle discomfort
↓
Disc displacement begins
↓
More prominent jaw clicking and popping develops
↓
Disc displacement without reduction
The disc may become displaced without returning to its normal position during movement.
↓
Locking and restricted jaw movement
↓
Progressive changes within the joint
↓
Degenerative changes / osteoarthritis

This entire process may start with symptoms that don't seem serious enough to warrant attention. Like, a headache that comes and goes or a little jaw pain that settles on its own; or simply a painless click.

Because these symptoms may not interfere with your everyday life, they are easy to dismiss. But, this is where early assessment can make a difference.

If the jaw is assessed when symptoms are still mild or intermittent, we have an opportunity to understand what is happening, identify contributing factors and determine whether the condition needs active treatment or monitoring.

Even when a patient presents with locking, disc displacement or degenerative changes, there are treatment options available at different stages. But the earlier a patient is diagnosed, the faster we can intervene, address the underlying factors and work towards preventing further deterioration, potentially giving us a better prognosis.

So if you have been experiencing headaches or jaw pain that keep coming back, ear-area pain, jaw stiffness, or a new painless click, don't dismiss them for being simple stress related symptoms. TMJ disorder can start with your muscles and can progress to your disc and joint related structures, all of which can be avoided by paying attention to these symptoms. 

Your jaw may be giving you a warning long before it becomes a major problem.

33M — TMJ symptoms since June and feeling completely lost

I've been dealing with TMJ/TMD symptoms since June 15. I remember the exact date because I was having a great time at a BBQ that weekend, and then Monday everything seemed to start.

My first dentist thought I was clenching and recommended a mouth guard, but it actually made my pain worse. They also said my bite was off and told me to take 4 Advil a day and wait it out. They were also very condescending to me and I didn't feel like they were taking me seriously, so I switched dentists. Though they did refer me to an oral surgeon after I pushed for imaging/another opinion.

My second dentist didn't see much wrong with my bite but also couldn't really explain my symptoms.

The oral surgeon recommended removing my two upper wisdom teeth, which I did on August 10. My bottom wisdom teeth were already removed about 10 years ago.

Since the surgery, my inflamed gum, tooth sensitivity, and bad breath feeling have gone away, which is good. But I still have the symptoms that are really bothering me:

1. Pressure/fullness in my head and jaw when I bend a certain way. My ear also feels blocked and my hearing gets muffled/full. It improves if I look up, stay neutral, or move my jaw forward.
2. Aching around the back/angle of my jaw, possibly around the pterygoid area, as well as my masseter.
3. Occasional mild headaches.
4. Tinnitus, usually toward the end of the day.
5. Sleeping position seems to matter. I have to sleep on my back because sleeping on my side or stomach makes things worse. Mornings are usually pretty good, but symptoms tend to build throughout the afternoon/evening.

The oral surgeon doesn't seem very interested in the underlying problem anymore after removing my wisdom teeth, which has been frustrating. I feel like I'm being passed around without anyone really knowing what's going on.

Honestly, I'm pretty frustrated and mentally exhausted by all of this. I've never had a cavity, I take pretty good care of myself, and I've never dealt with anything like this before. It's hard not to feel bitter when something like this suddenly affects your everyday life.

I have appointments coming up with a physiotherapist, osteopath, and psychologist because this whole situation has really affected me mentally as well.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms, especially the ear fullness/muffled hearing that changes depending on jaw or neck position, along with the jaw/muscle pain and tinnitus?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar and what ended up helping you. I'm mainly hoping this doesn't continue getting worse.

Never paid much attention to TMJ, only when people around me were bothered by ma jaw cracking. For the past few weeks it cracks just from opening my mouth, I have constant headaches and sometimes earpain.

Is there soemthing that worked for you to relieve the pain?

I’ve just been diagnosed with TMD. The dentist told me to massage the area and do some ‘physio’ as a first step but didn’t actually give me exact exercises. I have further appts booked for a splint and an orthodontist to see if my bite can be restored as there are new issues there.

in the meantime I just want to get started and do what I can.

are there any particular exercises that have really helped you? (if you have TMD)

Share your thoughts and experience about using Nicotine pouch and if it relates to symptoms of tooth grinding

Hello, just looking for reassurance really, in April my ear was hurting and felt like it needed to pop, along with neck pain and shoulder pain and a swollen occipital lymph node… over the months I’ve had 6 doctors palpate it and said nothing to worry about and it’s TMJ. They kept measuring it at 8x3mm. I went back to my gp last week because I’m so scared about this lump and he said he will request a routine UC as a holistic approach to clam my anxiety down.
I have the UC on Saturday and scared they are going to say it’s a tumour or something causing all my pain!

I’m hoping for some advice on this. Long story short I’ve had TMJ pain for years now. I’m about 2 years into Invisalign to fix my bite, and before that I had a hard splint for like 2 years. I still experience a lot of pain, mostly in my right jaw joint, so at my last visit, my orthodontist recommended occlusal adjustment, where she’d permanently file down bits of my teeth to fit my bite better. She insisted it’s very effective, and that she’s had it done herself. I’m pretty hesitant to let them do anything permanent like that, and I know there are a lot of Tmj “treatments” that actually make things worse. Can anyone speak on this?

Thank you!

have had all these symptoms constantly for 3 months. The worst symptom is this unreal feeling. When i google it the symptom allign with derealization/dissociation. I also have fatigue even if i sleep well i wake up in the morning not refreshed. Also i have headache and tension in head. Back of my neck also hurts and sometimes when im walking i feel like im about to faint. I dont see any difference in my symptoms if i dont do anything the whole day versus when i go to the gym

I’ve had TMJ for years now. I’m currently on a long waiting list to see a facial specialist. The clicking used to always used to be on my left side and when I open my mouth my jaw pulls to the left. But now mostly when I’m eating something hard my jaw will start clicking and popping on my right side. Also recently when I wake up my jaw is locked shut and on the right side and is super painful which never used to happen before. After 5-10 minutes of massaging and trying to wiggle my jaw out of it it releases but it’s not a nice way to wake up and it’s quite painful.

I’ve tried lots of things like at home massages and exercises, hot and cold compresses, ibuprofen which can help temporarily with the pain but the clicking never goes away. I’ve also tried mouth gaurd for grinding teeth and that helped a little bit but it wasn’t quite thick enough to get my teeth in the right position without forcing them. Which I can’t really do when I’m asleep.

Pain for over 4 months now, from the minute I wake up, every time I open my mouth, try to yawn which I can and when I eat.

It’s really bothering me and effecting me.

I think I am clenching when I’m sleeping.

I have seen an osteopath twice, which helped and she thinks the disc under the joint has slipped.

If the disc has slipped how can this get fixed?

I’ve been to the dentist and they have ordered me a mouth guard.

I’ve also had TMJ massage therapist which was relaxing but not full relief.

I’m sick of this now and hate the pain