I have had TMJ almost all of my life. My jaw clicks when I eat, but it has never caused me any pain.
Is there a chance that pain may start to occur over time?

Hi Katty! I too have had the clicking and TMJ most of my life. Just curious... did you wear braces? I noticed mine started during the time I wore braces at about 12 years old. The ortho "corrected my bite" and my jaw was never the same.

To answer your question... Yes, pain my occur over time, OR it may not It's just one of those things that only time will tell! I've always had some pain with mine. Not terrible pain, more like mild pain.

I have it. Mine doesn't hurt all the time but it has hurt. It's worse when I get up in the mornings. Sometimes I have to "unlock" it or it feels like that.

I hate it.

Mine is just the opposite. I have the pain, but no clicking. It has "frozen" up on me a few times and it is always very sore to the touch. Sometimes I have to stretch the TMJ to ease the discomfort. I believe mine is due to a life time of bruxism which can also lead to TONS of tooth problems....... which is HORRID as we all know.

I had TMJ for years without knowing it. I had migraines and neck pain that I attributed to stress. I saw a new dentist who diagnosed it nearly 4 years ago now. He determined that I clench and grind my teeth at night and the disc in one of my TMJs was out of place. The splint has caused my bite to slowly shift back to where it should be. Now I have chronic moderate pain mostly in my left TMJ. I go in to have my splint adjusted anywhere from every month to three months now. Return of the headaches, sometimes increased jaw pain and increased neck pain are my signals that it is time for an adjustment. I'm so thankful for my dentist for diagnosing the source of my migraines which pretty much had me in bed 7 days a week when they were at their worst. I don't know how I ever managed to work with them. I know of people who have the clicking without any pain and never do have pain. That is the jaw joint moving over the displaced disc.

I have the clicking ad pain. It has been pretty bad. I am a tooth clencher, during the day and when I sleep. The problem began after major dental work. I saw a tmj specialist and said I now have arthritis of the jaw. I can't eat certain foods, sleep on that side,etc. I use hot compresses and know ibuprofen would help, but won't take it unless it's necessary. I have a prescription for flexeril, a muscle relaxer, but how often can one use them? I never even tried it. I tried acupuncture and it really really helped, but it is cost prohibitive for me.

I hope you feel better, it can be awful. Stress makes it worse, because you tend to clench more tightening up the muscles. I hope some of this helped.

Did you get your splint from your dentist and how is it different from any other? I would also like to know how they adjust it.

Thanks

bev

A night guard and a splint are much the same thing, at least the kind I have. The difference is when a night guard is adjusted, the adjustments are therapeutic and as such the device is called a "splint". There other types of splints as well, but mine is hard acrylic. My dentist makes it extra thick, then builds up the front part so I can't clench with my back teeth. Over time, by jaw finds its sweet spot and is able to clench the back teeth against the splint, causing me to have headaches and increased jaw pain, and sometimes locking. I go in and my dentist grinds it down in the back so that I can only clench on the front part again. And so it goes. The last splint lasted 3 years. When he adjusted it the last time, it had gotten so thin that it broke. This second one he made extra thick to begin with so hopefully it will last a little bit longer!

Dear'enough'
I too was diagnosed with TMJ and it is very painful,I too wear a night guard and take muscle relaxants if needed.
I believe high levels of stress are the cause.the Dentist,a young man,said to me as I was leaving his Clinic"You have to let it go"
He is right but easier said than done.

I hope your pain will ease
God Bless
Elizabeth

Arent' the guards expensive? I have seen some in the food store and target by the tooth items and they clearly say not to use if you have tmj. What is the difference between those and the ones they make for you?

My dentist was asking $1000. for his. He told me NOT to go to Wal-Mart to buy one. They can make matters much worse. So, I by-passed the dentist and ordered mine on-line. It was custom made, but I have no idea how it compares to the very expensive ones.

The problem I have is that most mornings I wake up and can't even find the thing. I have found it on the other side of the room. I have gone months and couldn't find it at all!!

I had no idea I was grinding until the dentist brought it to my attention. Immediately after that, I began waking either before I began grinding or after I stopped.

What I would do is wake up with my teeth touching. The dentist told me that your teeth should NEVER touch!

My last night guard was $464, and it looks like my insurance might cover a portion. They said they would if there is documented grinding and clenching. This fee includes the night guard and 3 visits for fitting/adjustments. My doc generally charges $100 to adjust the night guard, so really this is not an exorbitant fee. The secret is to find a dentist who knows what he is doing when treating TMJ. Not all do.

The ones you buy in the drug store are not custom fit. They are soft rather than hard. They are probably OK if all you do is grind your teeth. When I was first diagnosed, my hygienist suggested I try one to see if I could tolerate having something in my mouth before investing in a night guard. I hated the thing and really made my jaw hurt. No, I should not have used it with my TMJ. The type your dentist makes is hard acrylic and should last a very long time if you are only using it to prevent damage to your teeth from grinding and clenching.