The pain started in my right ear right after I got a crown on my molar and started wearing a night gaurd because I grind my teeth. I still have pain, 2 months later and my right ear has pain and ringing. The ENT doctor said I have TMJ and to eat soft foods, use moist heat and if that dosn't work he will take a MRI or perscribe muscle relaxants. My dentist said my bite and the night guard looks fine.

Funny...I didn't notice TMJ until 1/2 through my Dental Hygiene program. (I guess i was holding my mouth open too much… ha!) I only have it on the right, which causes me too be "off-base". Every day I wake up the pain is there, and every night. I have had some very custom-made bite blocks made. Chiropractic, trigger point injections, morphine...anything short of a miracle. I am not considering getting braces. The TMJ never actually pops out on the right, forcing my jaw shut, since I've have a bite appliance, so that is good. In 2004, it shifted on the right actually forcing my jaw closed about 5-6 times that year. The nerve pain went down through my ear. OMG! The second time, it was lunch, I bit into a cracker and it locked for 45 minutes. I couldn't even make to class, I was bawling...I went over to the head facility of the Dental Hygiene program, and she knew I couldn't open my mouth. She began massaging it, and it released...some scary stuff! I am feeling I should get a specialist. I am 39, and beginning to get stiffer as I age. I am a little concerned about where my pain level would be in 10 years when I start combining this with a little arthritis. Although, I have dental training, I am not an expert at this. I am just like you living on a day-to-day basis. I guess in school, I should've just kept my big trap shut! HA!

I've had a few of the jaw symptoms back in April and after a few months, the symptoms came back. I'm not sure if this is really too serious, but I've had moments where my jaw seems to be locked but after a bit, my jaw would unlock itself. I also experience popping in my jaw occasionally. I don't want to be the kid who cried wolf, but I don't want this to turn into something serious, either...

I was diagnosed recently with TMJ. My symptoms cause ear ringing and pain from my ear that travels along my jaw down to my chin. Everything feels inflamed. Very painful. Thought I had ear infections and turned out to be this.

My dentist put crowns on tooth numbers 18 and 19 that are at least 2mm short which caused 20 and 21 to wear down and now I'm completely out of occlusion on my left side. I don't brux and don't think I clench, but I often wake up with headaches that will usually subside if I stretch my neck and back in the morning, but I tend to have lower backaches very often on my left side and hip too. I'm curious about the TMJ relationship to this discomfort and want to know the best remedy and long term results if I continue on this course as is since it will cost about $6000 to restore this issue.Tom

My son, 40, has been sleeping with a C-Pap machine for 5 years because of Sleep Apnea and now seems to have developed TMJ. He had been experiencing neck, shoulder pain and a popping jaw. Now he is in terrible pain and on pain medications. He is seeing a dental TMJ expert and will have to use a mouth piece to try and relieve the inflammation. He may need surgery. Seems the C-Pap machine might have caused the problem. I wondered if anyone else on a C-Pap was also having TMJ problems.