TMJ problems with X-Ray
Hi TMJ lovers,
Before we get to the X-Ray, here’s some backstory.
I’ve been dealing with TMJ problems since I was 16. Back then my symptoms weren’t that severe. I had small inflammation near my jaw, specifically under my ear.
By 17, it started to become painful near my ear (the TMJ joint). It became very uncomfortable but bearable. During the summer of being 17, I went ti my home country and decided to get this problem checked out. I went to an Orthodontist where he recommended to get a mouth guard because I had been clenching in my sleep and during the say subconsciously.
So I got the mouth guard. It was plastic and aligned with my teeth, kind of like a retainer but thicker, designed to reduce clenching by making it uncomfortable and awkward. I was told to wear it 24/7 for 6 months, but could ofc take it off during eating or brushing teeth. Then I questioned him and asked if my teeth would get used to this guard and he strongly said, along the lines of, “no, your mind doesn’t like foreign object in your mouth so it will stop the clenching”
Well long story short, 4ish months in and i started clenching on the mouth guard 🤦♂️. I know this because i still wake up with a sore TMJ and my masseters feeling overworked.
Eventually I lost the mouth guard (I put it in my pocket before entering a bus and after I got out I realised that I lost it cause it wasn’t in my pocket). Tbh I don’t mind because it really wasn’t making a huge difference to my pain as promised by the orthodontist.
So fast forward to today, I am 18 and I still have the same problems. What’s new is that I started having these irritating spasms in my right ear daily and occasionally. Is it connected to my TMJ problem?
There isn’t necessarily any pain but it is very uncomfortable. There isn’t any noticeable popping sounds from a third person hearing but when I put my finger in my ear while opening and closing my jaw, there is an obvious cracking and popping sound, with severe movement. When my jaw is relaxed and my mouth closed, the back of the inside of my right ear (the bad side) is more prominent than my left (like the bone you feel when you put your finger in your ear to the end)
Well that was a bit of the backstory, now you can have a look at the X-Ray I attached. If there is anyone that can read it, what does it show? Is there hope for me 🥲? What can or should I do?
I do have an MRI that was taken alongside the X-Ray. If anyone needs it for a deeper analysis, you can dm me. Thanks