It hurts!!!! Ouccch!!! Who do i see for this?

[Shanti]

Thanks girls

What's TMJ?? something something Jaw?

[Olive]

its the joint up near your ear, like the hinge for your jaw!! where the pain is!

here trying to explain it as simply as possible!!

Your temporomandibular joint (also referred to as your TMJ) is the joint just in front of each ear, where your jaw bone connects to your skull. Problems with the TMJ and the muscles that control jaw movement are known as temporomandibular disorders or TMJ disorders.

give it time to rest!

[Janie]

Temporo-Madibular Joint And yes, it sounds like that's what you've got, TMJ disorder. Must dash now, but if it persists after looking after it yourself, head to the dentist and have a night splint made.

[Shanti]

Thank you girls you have been really helpful..... especially AJP!

Well, i've never heard of such a thing..... does it mean i'm prone to getting this often now? Or could it be a one off thing perhaps??

Ok i'll stop opening and closing my mouth wide as that is only aggrevating it

I'm going to get my heat pack now and see if that helps... its throbbing thank you

[AJC]

Ren, I had TMJ late last year. My dentist diagnosed it. I put it down to stress from my m/c last Sep. I stopped eating anything really chewy, even my morning muesli. I made sure that I ate nice & slow, took really small bites (like a mouse would have taken larger bites) and I would never eat anything where I had to 'open wide' like an apple or a hamburger. It persisted for around a month and is now fine. I didn't have to have a splint or anything like that. It was really painful though so I sympathise, I could have sworn I needed root canal or something it was that painful.

Oh - I also bought a new pillow too, one of those fancy ergonomic type ones. That seemed to help too.

For me it was a one off - I had never had it before and I haven't had it since.

[Olive]

im not going to say it woant happen again, it might not, but certainly can!

[Janie]

Ren, if you look after it for a bit it should settle down easily. Usually TMJD is caused by clenching and grinding (in your sleep usually) which in turn is caused by stress! It is very, very common, I can't tell you how many people I see walk in the door at work with TMJ problems. Usually it's easily resolved, but if not a night splint can work wonders. I used to have one a few years ago, and it was great. It also stops you from wearing away your teeth too much, if you're grinding alot.

Eating soft foods, NO opening and closing to see if it still hurts and using ice/heat packs will help. If it feels a bit out of alignment, there's probably some inflammation in the joint which can make everything feel out a balance, particularly when you bite together.

I hope it goes away soon, but if you're still really struggling in a week or so, then head off to the dentist. Good luck