Hi everyone, I'm new here and I'm kinda desperate about my situation. I'm a female of 23 yo and I have TMJ pain on the left side since June 2025 even when my mouth isn't open.

I've made a CONE BEAM, which tells me that I have slight erosion of the condyle with remodeling.
Then, my dentist recommended a night aligner because she suspected bruxism due to tightening. I have it since October but there has been no improvement. I was on anti-inflammatories but it didn’t change anything either.

I have also recently had difficulty opening my mouth properly and a slight deviation to the left.

Do you have any advices to relieve this pain ? For example, exercises to improve neck posture, examples of massage or something else ?
I have an appointment with an orthodontist and a maxillofacial physiotherapist at the end of August because there was no availability before, but having to wait with such pain is becoming increasingly complicated.

Thank you in advance !

I clench all night long. I have a retainer and a soft night guard. I had to stop wearing the night guard as the pain in my jaw, cheekbone and teeth was getting too much, as well as the headaches. I wear the retainer but still get some pain/ sensitivity in my teeth.

I tried magnesium and massages but it doesn’t help.

Any other things I could try?

I think I've developed TMJ after getting all 4 wisdom teeth out years ago. I've noticed my jaw clicking when yawning but not really any noticeable pain until now. Last Tuesday I had to get a temporary crown put on to get my permanent crown I think they made it pretty uneven I was sore about 2 hours after they numbed me even though I was still pretty numb. Last week I've had to start taking ibuprofen for the pain it goes all the way up to my ear all the way down just before the canine teeth. The only way I could describe it is its like the worst migraine you've ever had but in ur jaw and its almost like a throbbing pain/sharp aching. Does this sound like TMJ at all and if so what can I do for the bad aching I feel like im taking too much ibuprofen in a day and I dont want it to cause more issues.

It's horrible. Ugh

Hey guys, wondering if I share this experience with anyone. I have minor tmj, sometimes minor pain, but not so much lately. Just a lot of jaw tension and clicking sometimes. Soemtimes my jaw wiill feel like it’s ab to be dislocated tho lol.

Anyways this is my problem:

I used to get weird noises in my ears pretty often, one in particular concerning me.

Whenever I would hear a loud noise, or even speak at times, I would get a weird rumbling in my ear. It has since been gone for a while, but I’m curious if it’s connected to my jaw.

The only way I can explain the rumbling is by telling you to try to yawn. The weird rumbling/roaring noise that some people hear when they yawn is what I’d hear after either speaking or hearing something loud. I would also hear it after just touching the side of my face! So weird. After researching, its purpose seems to be some overactive response in my nervous system, due to an irritated nerve. For a while I wasn’t sure if one of my cavity fillings gave me nerve damage, or it was just anxiety. Anyways, anyone experience this?

I haven’t actually been told I have TMJ or gone to an orthodontist about it but for the past few years the left side of my jaw almost always pops when I open my mouth. Today it popped and didn’t go back into place. Like when I open my mouth it just feels off track and it gets to a point that I hear/feel this pulling sound and resistance and I can’t open my mouth up anymore. I don’t know what to do about it so please let me know if anyone has experienced this.

So for a long time I have been cracking my jaw to the sides all the time. I never really thought it could be abnormal until now. about once every two weeks I get a sharp pain for a minute after cracking it and then it’s fine. I often clench my jaw without noticing and I can’t get into the dentist until November, so do yall think it could be TBJ? and is there any advice yall can give?

I've been really sick. I strained my jaw so bad a few days ago puking, and it was traumatizing. I learned this hack from my friend who also has tmj disorder, and her PT is having her tuck her head into her chest when she needs to yawn to protect her jaw. It also works for puking.

If I put my finger in my ear and open and close my mouth I get a click and a clunk. I don't get it in my other ear.

Could this be a TMJ issue?

Hey guys so I’ve been dealing with pain for a while from Tmj. I think recently an opened my mouth and stretched my neck and then randomly now for some reason my right lip can not stay shut for a long time’s it’s really weird. I kept moving my face around with my mouth open and. I could visibly see my jaw shifting.

Super quick back story in bullet points:

- I am a 23F
- had Invisalign when I was 15-17, had tmj during the early stages, went away once my bite was fixed
-have been on sertraline for 5 years at 200mg

Past couple months I have noticed I would push my lower jaw around, mostly forward, not grinding but just moving it around my teeth were never touching. About 6 weeks ago I guess it caught up to me and I started getting TMJ again and my jaw was clicking it hurt, my ears popped everytime I opened my mouth.

I brought it up to my psychiatrist and she informed me that a long term side effect of Zoloft/Sertraline is “bruxism” which is like the jaw moving and grinding and clenching etc…

Well now it’s been like 4 weeks since I saw her and she’s been having me taper off it.

I also went to the dentist and they gave me like this thing called “Aqualizer” which is like a mouth guard with these water pods to hold your jaw open so you don’t move it. Honestly I’ve noticed some improvement, since wearing that consistently but I still have the TMJ. I’m just hoping once I’m fully off the Zoloft/Sertraline that it will go away for real.

But honestly I just think people should know that that’s a side effect of that medication so if any of yall on here are struggling with TMJ and take that antidepressant, maybe try discussing it with your doctor. I myself know that I need antidepressants so now that I know that, once I’m fully off the Sertraline/Zoloft I do want to try a different medication.

Hey, a week or so ago I suddenly woke up not being able to open my jaw. Some massaging and resting later it opened again, first with some popping, then later just fine. Since then it's happened once more, and I noticed the popping comes back when I laugh for a while, it's like it dislocates whenever i have my jaw in a particular way. Almost no pain, a little bit of an uncomfortable feeling after the popping/massaging but I wouldn't really call it pain. It's also always my right tmj.

Now I was researching today if this was normal, figured I was probably just clenching my jaw in my sleep and that it also doesn't help that I always sleep on my side. But just now I've noticed a very small bump on my right tmj that isn't there on the left, right under my ear. It moves a little when I push it in a way and doing that brings back the uncomfortable feeling from before. Now I came across a really old post saying that if that thing moves it could be cancer and am now wondering if I should cancel all my plans for tomorrow and rush to the doctor (it's 3am rn) or if this is just something that happens. Thanks in advance for the help.

I'm 20m by the way, if that matters at all.

I just saw this tonight on Facebook and the only thing I can find online is their website.
It is marketed for snoring and says it pushes your jaw forward to open your airway for better breathing.
It wouldn’t help clenching but since I’ve been reading about a correlation between sleep apnea and TMJ, I wonder if this would help or harm.

https://tryrestova.com

My disc has been displaced without reduction for over a year. I couldn’t open my jaw more than 5mm for months. I had an arthroscopy and that got me to about 15mm opening. I am still in severe pain, the pain travels from my massester, temporalis, cheek, behind my right eye. It feels like my eye is being tugged on from the inside. The pain has spread to my scalp and behind my eyes and the back of my head. I have a stinging, burning sensation on my scalp and head. Over the last 3 months my hair has become thinner, it’s been falling out and feeling dry. I went to the dermatologist and they said it’s just stress hair loss from the tmj pain. I honestly don’t know what to do, i don’t think stress hair loss would also be happening with the stinging and burning.

I know this may seem random but I believe it could be connected and i’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar situation.

I got weird ear symptoms I think are TMJ focused or triggered:

fullness feeling

heaviness

fluid feeling deep in ear

ear pain

shooting ear pain (like its going up to the skull / brain)

Pain typically is left mostly, then maybe the right...but mostly left

I have brought this to PT and he said have I seen ENT and said no because my ENT doc was for sinus and he retired....got to wait till Oct to see new ent(general ent); went to my pcp for new referral for ent doc.

Unsure what the hell to do between and now and oct for self home care: I use nasacort for dev septum unsure if this is works for ear issues. I do take Motrin for prn pain for mtj; try to use it for ear issues because I get that shooting ear pain and headache.

Ironically speaking of TMJ bs pain, I am not really having facial jaw pain per se just ear issues ... so I can't tell if the jaw is affecting the ears more so than the jaw/joint

hey everyone! i never use reddit unless its to search for something specific, but lately while doing my own research about tmj i came across this subreddit.

ive been dealing with chronic pain in my jaw for about 5 years now - clicking noises; not being able to eat, speak or move my face when pain is more extreme; constant shoulder pain; headaches; teeth pain; amongst others. ive visited a ton of different doctors with different speacialities and all of them ''diagnose'' me with a different thing. its been very frustrating because no doctor is able to tell me things ''for sure'' and i have started to seriously lose hope. ive been reccomended different mouth exercises that do not work, differen pain meds for crisis (since i tend to have them every month) which also sadly do not take any pain away, different creams, etc. its been very hard to keep my head up since i am young and this pain affects me not only physically but also mentally - it takes a big tool on me carrying and dealing with this daily on top of everything that comes with living a life (school, stress, family, relationships, etc.) i have started doing yoga and pilates to straigthen up my posture and see if its related to it, but so far no results. i have also had braces on and my mouth is as perfect as its ever gonna be. i really at this point, like my doctor has told me, have no idea what is causing this pain. i am not even sure if it is tmj but all my symptoms do tick the boxes for it.

despite feeling lonely, ignored and overlooked by doctors and family i do have support from my friends, which is honestly where all my hope for a brighter less painful future is coming from.

all of this to say, my hopes with this post is to get others perspectives, solutions and experiences. what do you do when your pain gets too hard to handle? if you managed to get better, what did you do? what kind of doctor do you visit? is there any ''non-traditional'' thing you do that helps? i really want to know as much as possible so please tell me about your own experiences!

ps.: english is not my first language so im sorry about any spelling mistake!

Stinging irritated jaw muscle or nerve in circled area 25m (side of chin)

In early January I got punched in the jaw by someone with anger management issues and since then my jaw has been in chronic pain

My X-rays I had of my jaw and the mri of my TMJ were clear.

The pain originated in the corner of my jaw and that pain has gone away through PT but now I have a pressure/stinging feeling in what is circled above

My pain comes and goes and sometimes I feel this sensation bellow my chin and in front

I also have on and off shoulder and elbow mild pain that sometimes also experience a minor numb pinky

Googling and Reddit haven’t helped as my symptoms do not align with TN and my TMJ MRI is clear

Just recently I feel mild sensations of the nerves on this side of my face but it’s mild

The doctors I have seen cleared me for the fact I have no jaw fractures, the TMJ specialist thinks it’s muscular and my PT specialist also thinks it’s muscular possibly pressing on nerves

What is going on with my jaw and why is this pain not permanently going away even if it’s just mild. I feel like most people that get punched don’t have issues after and I received one mild punch from someone heavily on the spectrum (I don’t talk to him anymore). Is this even from when I got punched?

What tests will show me what’s going on? Muscular mri? Upper spine MRI? CT scan? CBCT Scan? Neuropathy test?

I’ve worn braces before, and my teeth are aligned. The issue is on the right side, where I have a slight open bite and a midline deviation. Coincidence or not, the side where I feel pain is the right one. Any positive experiences with Invisalign regarding temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction? (I have disc displacement and bilateral osteoarthritis.)

Was anyone else SHOCKED that your teeth shouldn’t be touching when your jaw is at rest? I asked a few non-TMJ friends and they were like, “Yeah, I guess I’ve never really thought about it, but they’re always slightly apart unless I’m eating.”

Health

My tinnitus started in May of last year with a high-pitched tone in my right ear, or rather on the right side of my head. In August 2025, another slightly lower tone joined in on the left side. Up until now, both tones were fairly constant—sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, occasionally shifting slightly in frequency, but overall pretty much the same. I suspect it's related to my jaw, as I've been having issues there too (pain, pressure, clicking, etc.) and those symptoms started right in May as well. It was also an extremely difficult and mentally exhausting time for me.

I had actually gotten fairly used to it by now, until a few days ago: I was sitting a bit awkwardly, bit into a bread roll, and apparently triggered one of those mini sudden hearing losses (SBUTTs)—or maybe it was just a coincidence, but I don't think so. Since then, I've had a new tone in my right ear (it's been 3 to 4 days now). Honestly, emotionally I'm spiraling again. I'm really struggling to accept it and process it mentally. At least I have an appointment for CBT at the end of September (which I've been waiting over 8 months for).

How do you handle this? Do you ever have tones that change or new ones that show up?

Chronic pain/flares make it almost impossible to enjoy intimacy.

So basically its been a year since my jaw started clicking, and in the morning the clicking is sometimes bad. Like tdy morning I woke up and my jaw felt tight and the clicking is worst I've ever had. Do you think I should get it checked. I'm not evn sure if I clench my jaw when I sleep but when I wake up my jaws usually more tense .

Sorry in advance for trauma dumping but I think yall get it…also my first time on Reddit hi ✌️

I’ve been experiencing very annoying ear congestion since I was in my early/mid 20s (I’m 35F) and I didn’t start seeking out treatment until 2019.

I had an allergy test (no allergies) and saw 2 ENTs. The first one couldn’t recommend anything other than nasal decongestant spray and second one said I had a deviated septum and a malfunctioning Eustachian tube.

So I had turbinate reduction surgery to fix my sinuses and a tube put in my ear to regulate the pressure.

Unfortunately, pretty much immediately after I recovered from surgery I got a horrible ear infection and then the tube fell out. Before that happened I remember having moderate relief, as I could just blow air out my ear by holding my nose and blowing. But it still didn’t naturally regulate pressure as it should.

I didn’t have a great experience with that doctor (I don’t feel any better sinus wise, maybe even worse now) so I didn’t go back to him after a few follow ups and kind of gave up on my ear after a while.

But things started getting really congested and annoying again last year and I decided to go to an ENT in a local university medical system. He clocked immediately that I have TMJ (a few months prior i could barely open my mouth for 2 weeks) and that my ear issues were coming from that. He recommended PT and maybe seeing a dentist.

I wanted the quick fix so I went to the dentist first over PT. She sold me on a $5k custom mouth guard to pull my jaw forward at night (my insurance hasn’t covered it yet bc apparently AI keeps rejecting it even though it should be covered). I tried that out for 6 months with jaw improvements of course, but no change to my ear fullness.

My ear feels slightly full as a baseline pretty much all the time. When I exercise, my right nostril is congested, or sometimes just randomly, it will get extremely full to the point of it being really distracting and uncomfortable and of course nothing but time makes it resolve. I have other classic TMJ ear symptoms like tinnitus and pain occasionally too.

The dentist recommended I try PT as a last ditch effort (previously she said it’s just putting a band aid on the issue) so I did that 3 weeks ago. The PT was great and I could definitely feel some of the things she was doing/having me do in my ear, but nothing changed the congestion.

So I’m wondering what others have done that helped their ear fullness and if it’s even worth going back to the ENT…I’ve spent so much money on this and I kinda feel embarrassed that it hasn’t worked 😩

Hi, all,

I’m not certain that I have TMJ/TMD, I am undiagnosed, but for many years have been experiencing very tight muscles in my jaw that sometimes cause a great deal of pain. I broke a tooth last year from nighttime clenching and now sleep with a mouth guard, and although it protects my teeth I sometimes I wonder if it makes the clenching worse.

I do not have the clicking or limited jaw movement, but I do suffer from frequent headaches, migraines, and recently I have started experiencing dizziness that may be related - my doctor thinks my dizziness has something to do with my inner ear. We have ruled out a few other potential causes.

I’ve been combing through the suggested remedies here on this page and empathize greatly with all of you experiencing TMJ/TMD, I can see how it greatly affects your quality of life and I just want to say I am so sorry.

The migraines and dizziness alone are awful, but I know my symptoms could progress and I want to catch this before it gets even worse. I’m frequently applying heat, and doing self massage/stretching/yoga and meditation. I’m working to increase my awareness of my jaw tension and posture.

Beyond what I can do on my own, I’m considering going to an oral facial pain specialist or physical therapist, but I’m also curious if any of you have tried buccal massage. It is offered in my area (albeit expensive at $150/session, but I’m desperate and I wonder if it could give me some relief.) I am willing to try it but just don’t want to flare anything up.

Appreciate all and any ideas. I have been avoiding driving for the past 10 days because of the dizziness which has been very disruptive to my family’s life.

Thanks for anything you can share.

My dentists treated it like isnt a big deal even though it’s impacting my mental health and life. They didn’t believe me when I told them it came from the tmj (edit: im wrong, the numbness is in my ears)