Question about Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)?

Question

I think I have TMJ, I clench my jaw at night and a few weeks ago I woke up with extreme pain in my jaw. Now it clicks everytime I open my mouth wide and my jaw is clearly out of place. My questions is:

Will a doctor/dentist snap my jaw back into place for me if I ask them to? If not, what are the options to realign my jack back into place?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

If you have no previous history of this type of jaw pain, then most likely your jaw problem is due to muscle spasm from clenching your teeth at night. All you need is an appliance that will keep your back teeth apart and only your front teeth contacting the appliance. There are no store bought appliances that can do this.

As soon as your muscles relax and the muscle spasm resolves, the condyle (jaw joint) will go back into place.

This is a problem best treated by a dentist, not a physician.

Use moist heat on the sides of the face (cheek and jaw joint area) for at least 30-45 minutes whenever possible. Heat helps relax muscle but must be able to penetrate deeply so washcloths won't work. Go on a soft diet and no gum chewing. Muscle spasms take a while to resolve so you will need to be patient.

Although you may have a TMJ problem, it is a transient one.

Source(s):

retired DDS

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thank-you! I will visit my dentist soon.

Answer 2

Most likely your jaw is not 'out of place' but inflamed and sore. I have TMJ and it clicks and pops and feels like it is in and out of place too. I clench just like you, and that ruins your teeth and your jaw line. I saw a dentist and he made me a bite guard. It was pretty expensive and quite frankly, they sell cheap ones at the drugstores now.

Worst case scenario, they WILL do surgery on ya. If it is really bad, I would see my dentist or see your regular doctor because its a joint problem. Either one will help.

Good luck, I feel for ya.

Answer 3

there is a disc in that joint, and there is alot of room in there for the disc to float around in. so it is probably that the disc has moved. if you lay of the floor and open your jaw a little bit and have your teeth open, and also put your tongue to the roof of your mouth, sometimes the disc will float back up into the space its supposed to be in. so maybe try that. other wise if nothing is really not helping you you can get surgery for it, but thats pretty extreme.

Source(s):

dh school