Jaw issues / TMJ problems

I've been dealing with some jaw issues lately—really uncomfortable stuff—and I was wondering if anyone here has any recommendations for a specialist?😢

Hollywood拳击俱乐部. 😬

analogmarlin41 said:Hollywood拳击俱乐部. 😬

😂 , come on, they mean business!

If you're hanging around Washington, D.C., I'd definitely suggest checking out the dental clinic over on Perkov...

I’ve run into a bit of a situation... over the last two or three weeks, I’ve had this happen twice where I wake up in the morning and my jaw just won't budge—it feels stuck, clicking incessantly... but both times, after about half an hour, everything just pops back into place and settles down like nothing happened...
Yesterday morning, I woke up and the exact same thing was happening; I figured it would pass, but it didn't... I honestly thought I'd sleep it off, but today things have actually taken a turn for the worse. I can't even yawn properly, let alone eat... it feels like there's some kind of bone right by my ear just jamming everything up. I'm at a loss here—what am I supposed to do? What should I be taking? I popped three Aspirins yesterday, but they didn't do a damn thing...

Does anyone have any idea how to handle this? Has anyone else dealt with this kind of mess before?

Richard Bennett44 said:I've got a problem... over the last couple of weeks, there have been two mornings where I woke up and just couldn't yawn properly—my jaw keeps clicking. Both times, everything popped back into place after about half an hour and felt fine again...
Woke up yesterday morning with the exact same thing happening. I figured it would pass, but nope... I thought it would clear up overnight, but today it’s actually worse. I can barely yawn, let alone eat... It feels like some bone near my ear is physically jamming everything up. I'm lost on what to do or what to take... I downed three Aspirins yesterday, but they didn't do a damn thing...

Does anyone know how to handle this? Has anyone dealt with something similar?

A friend of mine had it where her jaw was clicking and popping constantly while she chewed. It was super annoying for her and everyone around her, though she wasn't in any pain. She went to get X-rays done and saw a physical therapist who prescribed some specific exercises. That fixed the issue, but she was told she still needs to keep up with the exercises at home.

So, about a month ago, I started noticing this strange discomfort in my jaw.

Whenever I try to open my mouth wider than halfway, or if I shift my jaw side to side, there’s this specific spot where everything seems to catch. It makes this dull, clicking sound—almost exactly like when you crack your knuckles, if you know what I mean.

I was wondering if anyone else here has dealt with something similar? Is this something I should be worried about, or will it eventually just settle down on its own?

You’ve really strained yourjoint.

I honestly can't say how serious this is without knowing what caused it in the first place.
It happened to me about a year ago right after getting my wisdom teeth pulled, and it hasn't let up. If anything, it's actually gotten a bit worse because my jaw occasionally locks up completely—usually after I wake up—leaving me unable to open my mouth at all. My family finds it hilarious, though, since it's the one time they finally get some peace and quiet from my talking! 😍

It doesn't cost you anything to go see a dentist or an oral surgeon, so why not? Wouldn't they be the best ones to figure out exactly what's going on?

So, did you end up making it in to see the doctor?

ironbadger3 said:So, about a month ago, I started noticing this strange discomfort in my jaw.

Whenever I try to open my mouth wider than halfway, or if I shift my jaw side to side, there’s this specific spot where everything seems to catch. It makes this dull, clicking sound—almost exactly like when you crack your knuckles, if you know what I mean.

I was wondering if anyone else here has dealt with something similar? Is this something I should be worried about, or will it eventually just settle down on its own?

Well, I actually started noticing the exact same thing about two months back, so I decided to head over to my dentist, who ended up referring me straight to an oral surgeon. They explained that there's a real possibility that my jaw could actually lock up entirely if I yawn too wide or open my mouth too far, which sounds incredibly uncomfortable, so they took impressions for a custom dental appliance. Now I have to wear it for about eight hours a day for the next three months before I go back for a follow-up appointment... it's certainly not the most pleasant routine to stick to, but I suppose it's better to be proactive now so things don't get worse later, right? I'm really hoping it does the trick and everything goes back to normal soon.

ironbadger3 said:So, did you end up making it in to see the doctor?

I actually saw the surgeons who performed my wisdom tooth extraction, since this issue popped up right after the procedure.
Their take is that it was caused by jaw trauma 😬 basically, while they were pulling the tooth, the lower jaw shifted a bit too far to one side, which threw the joint out of alignment.

Roger Rodriguez said:I actually saw the surgeons who performed my wisdom tooth extraction, since this issue popped up right after the procedure.
Their take is that it was caused by jaw trauma 😬 basically, while they were pulling the tooth, the lower jaw shifted a bit too far to one side, which threw the joint out of alignment.

Did they at least refer you to a specialist or send you somewhere for a follow-up exam?

ironbadger3 said:Did they at least refer you to a specialist or send you somewhere for a follow-up exam?

Well, they actually examined me at the dental school.

You should really just visit your own dentist first; they can give you a referral. Otherwise, specialists dealing with this kind of thing usually work out of the New York University College of Dentistry (which is where I went).

They'll check out that joint, and if necessary, they might give you one of those rubber splints—the kind I assume Thomas Jackson9 received. You might even get some exercises to try...
Honestly, just go see a dentist. 😁

So, this happened to me about three years back. I woke up one morning, gave a big old yawn, and suddenly felt this weird popping sensation on both sides—you know, like when your knuckles crack? At first, it actually hurt a bit, but life gets busy and I just didn't have the time to go see a doctor, so I basically just let it ride. Then, one afternoon, I’m just sitting there snacking on some 505 candies, and out of nowhere, there’s this clicking sound and it feels like everything finally snapped back into place. Now, every once in a while, it still kind of skips a little when I move my jaw side to side, but honestly? It’s no big deal. Doesn't really bother me, so I don't even think twice about it.🤷