TMJ SUCKS ASS!!!

Buckle up. This is a detailed post of the symptoms i have, partly a rant and partly me wanting to hear from people who have actually gone through something similar and what their journey was like.

A few weeks ago I wasn't even thinking about my TMJ. Now somehow I'm dealing with this whole collection of jaw/face symptoms lol.

For some dental background, both of my lower wisdom teeth have been erupting more recently. I could actually tell because I have a gap on my lower left side between my molar and premolar, and the shape/size of that gap changed as the wisdom tooth came out more. Food gets trapped there pretty easily.

Because of that gap I've also tended to chew more on my right side for quite a while.

Then one day I was chewing gum specifically because I was trying to get some trapped food out of the gap. While chewing the gum, I suddenly noticed my right TMJ clicking.

And that's basically where this whole thing started.

The right side now clicks when I open my mouth. I can physically feel the click if I put my finger over the joint. Interestingly, I've noticed that if I chew on the left side, the right-sided click becomes much louder/more prominent. If I chew on the right side, the clicking is noticeably less prominent.

There's some soreness/pain around both TMJs now, although the actual clicking is still only on the right.

Then I started getting other weird symptoms.

I've had intermittent deep ear pain, mainly on the right but occasionally on the left too. I actually had some of the right ear pain even before the clicking started.

I've also been getting these brief sharp/electrical/needle-like pains in both masseter/jaw muscles.

Then I started noticing what feels like muscle twitching/fasciculations just in front of both ears. One really weird thing I've noticed is that it seems positional:

• Sleep/lie on my left side → left side starts twitching.
• Sleep/lie on my right side → right side starts twitching.
• Lie on my back → it can happen on either side.

I've also noticed that after spending quite a bit of time sleeping on my right side recently, everything seemed to flare up more.

And now today I developed another symptom. While chewing breakfast, I suddenly started getting a stabbing pain in my temple, mostly in the lower temple area just above/in front of the ear. It continued to come and go afterward while I was driving. The area is also actually tender when I press on it. There's another spot slightly higher up in my temple that occasionally hurts too, but the lower spot is much more noticeable.

I also grind/clench my teeth, which I'm sure isn't helping.

So at this point I have:

• Right TMJ clicking
• Bilateral TMJ soreness
• Pain with fully opening my mouth
• Bilateral masseter/jaw pain
• Intermittent deep ear pain
• Twitching/spasms around the area in front of both ears
• New stabbing/tender temporalis/temple pain
• Symptoms that seem to change depending on sleeping position
• Known wisdom tooth/dental problems
• A history of chewing mostly on one side

I already know I need dental work as well. I was previously told I need multiple fillings, a root canal, and wisdom tooth extractions, so I'm planning to go back to the dentist and have everything reassessed.

I'm not claiming the wisdom teeth caused the TMJ problem. The timing is just really interesting to me because they were erupting more, my chewing had become uneven, and the actual clicking first appeared while I was chewing gum.

I'm mainly curious whether anyone here had their TMD start or progress in a similar way.

Did yours start with just clicking and then suddenly the masseter/temporalis muscles started hurting too?

Did anyone experience muscle twitching around the TMJ/temporalis area?

Did your temple become tender enough that simply pressing on it hurt?

Did sleeping on one side noticeably aggravate your symptoms?

And most importantly........what happened long term?

Did everything eventually calm down? Did the pain disappear but the clicking remain? Did PT help? Night guard? Fixing dental problems? Changing sleeping position? Muscle relaxants? Did you see a regular dentist, TMJ/orofacial pain specialist, oral surgeon, neurologist, etc.?

Would really appreciate hearing what your symptoms were like at the beginning, what you were eventually diagnosed with, what treatment you tried, and where you're at now.

Hi everyone, 27M here.
I started vaping around the beginning of COVID, mostly using 20mg STLTH pods. By 2022, I was going through roughly a pod a day. Over the past few years, though, my vaping gradually became much heavier. I eventually moved up to 50mg, and a 22,000-puff disposable would last me three weeks at most.
The last few months were probably when I realized just how dependent I had become on nicotine. I’d literally wake up multiple times during the night, take a few hits of my vape, and then go straight back to sleep.
I’ve finally decided that I’m done.
I have more than enough motivation to quit right now because I’m dealing with several health issues at the same time, including herniated cervical and lumbar discs, TMJ/TMD, GERD, and some dental problems. My doctor (neurologist and Cardiologist) also advised me to quit nicotine and vaping altogether.
I’ve also been reading a lot about the potential long-term effects of vaping and exposure to the various chemicals in vape aerosol. I know there’s still a lot we don’t know about the long-term consequences compared with something like cigarette smoking, but personally, I don’t want to spend the next few decades finding out the hard way.
Reading the success stories on this subreddit has honestly been a huge source of motivation. Seeing people talk about how they felt after quitting, the improvements they noticed, and how they eventually stopped constantly thinking about vaping made me realize that I want to get there too.
I also downloaded Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Quit Vaping audiobook, so I’m going to give that a listen.
I took my last hit a few minutes ago, lmao. Hopefully, that was genuinely my last one.
I’m planning to keep updating post this with my progress, the good days, the bad days, the positive changes I notice, the cravings, and whatever I end up doing to get through the urges without reaching for a vape.
Here goes. Day 1.

If you have any questions feel free to ask or DM.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from people who’ve dealt with TMJ or from dentists/oral surgeons who may have seen similar cases.
A few days ago, my right TMJ started clicking whenever I open my mouth. It started suddenly. The click happens immediately when I begin opening, and it’s usually one larger click followed by a smaller one. I can actually feel the click if I place my finger over the joint in front of my right ear.

Current symptoms:
● Clicking in the right TMJ every time I open my mouth.
● Mild soreness in front of the right ear/TMJ.
● Some pain only when I fully open my mouth.
● Full mouth opening (no locking or restriction).
● Deep intermittent pain inside my right ear that I’ve actually been experiencing for some time, even before the clicking started. Occasionally, I get a similar deep ear pain on the left as well.

Given these symptoms what’s the best approach??

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from people who’ve dealt with TMJ or from dentists/oral surgeons who may have seen similar cases.
A few days ago, my right TMJ started clicking whenever I open my mouth. It started suddenly. The click happens immediately when I begin opening, and it’s usually one larger click followed by a smaller one. I can actually feel the click if I place my finger over the joint in front of my right ear.

Current symptoms:
● Clicking in the right TMJ every time I open my mouth.
● Mild soreness in front of the right ear/TMJ.
● Some pain only when I fully open my mouth.
● Full mouth opening (no locking or restriction).
● Deep intermittent pain inside my right ear that I’ve actually been experiencing for some time, even before the clicking started. Occasionally, I get a similar deep ear pain on the left as well.

For some background, I grind my teeth, and I also have several dental issues that I’ve been putting off.
At my dental appointment earlier this year, I was told I need:
● A root canal. (Lower left molar tooth)
● Multiple fillings.
● Extraction of both lower wisdom teeth

My left lower wisdom tooth has created a gap between my lower left molar and premolar, which traps food and has led to cavities. Because of that, I’ve been chewing mostly on my right side for quite a while, so I’m wondering if that contributed to the TMJ clicking.

My questions are:

1. If you were in my shoes, how would you prioritize the dental work?
2. Would you get the root canal/fillings done before the wisdom teeth, or the other way around?
3. If you’ve had TMJ clicking, did dental work (especially wisdom tooth extraction) make it worse temporarily or did it eventually improve?
4. If your TMJ started clicking suddenly like mine, did the clicking eventually go away, or did it remain after the pain settled?
5. Would you see a dentist first, a family physician, or ask for a referral to a TMJ specialist?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s gone through something similar. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm a 26-year-old male and I've been dealing with this for about 6 weeks now. I already have a referral to a physiatrist and an EMG booked. I'm wondering if anyone has been through something similar and what your final diagnosis/recovery looked like.

Timeline

Early June 2026
This all started after I twisted/reached behind me while lying on my right side in bed. Initially I only had pain in the center of my lower back. It felt like pressure deep in the lumbar spine. No leg pain at that point.

Mid June 2026
Over the next week or two I developed what seemed like sciatica on the right side.

Symptoms included:

• Burning pain
• Pulling sensation
• Pressure
• Occasional stabbing pain

The pain involved:

• Right groin
• Upper inner thigh
• Medial thigh
• Behind the knee (popliteal fossa)
• Calf
• Occasionally the foot

Walking usually felt better than sitting.

Late June / Early July

Some milder symptoms started appearing on the left side:

• Mild burning/tingling behind the left knee
• Mild calf symptoms
• Tingling in the ball of the left foot and toes

I also noticed:

• Cross-legged sitting caused tightness in the groin/inner thigh.
• Driving became one of the biggest triggers.
• When I gently pressed the right upper inner thigh/adductor area, I sometimes felt a familiar sensation in my lower back.

July

The symptoms changed again.

The right-sided sciatica has actually improved quite a bit.

Now my biggest problem is the lower back again.

The pain is in the center of my lumbar spine and gets sore after:

• Driving
• Sitting for a while
• Getting out of the car

When I lie flat on my back it honestly feels like one or two of the lower lumbar vertebrae are pressing directly into the mattress, almost like resting your elbow on a hard table. Putting a pillow under my knees helps quite a bit.

Other symptoms

These may or may not be related but they've appeared during the same time period.

• Intermittent discomfort in the perineal region (I'm describing the location only—I don't know if it's muscular, nerve-related, or something else.)
• Intermittent discomfort around the right spermatic cord/groin.
• Pulling/pressure sensation in the upper inner thigh (right much worse than left).
• Brief needle-like pain near the upper right groin just inside the front pelvic bone while sitting.
• Brief flutter/twitch in the lower left abdominal/inguinal region after prolonged sitting and standing.
• Mild burning/cold sensation in the left lower abdominal/groin area.

What makes it worse

• Sitting
• Driving
• Cross-legged sitting
• Getting out of the car
• Lying flat on my back

What helps

• Walking
• Standing
• Pillow under my knees while sleeping

Important things

• No bowel or bladder problems.
• No urinary retention.
• Still able to walk normally.
• Blood work has been normal.
• Lumbar X-ray only showed mild L5-S1 disc space narrowing and incidental spina bifida occulta.

Has anyone had a similar progression?

I'm especially interested if your symptoms involved:

• Lower back pain
• Groin
• Perineal area
• Inner thigh
• Sciatica
• Pain changing over time

If so:

• What was your diagnosis?
• Did you end up getting an MRI?
• Did EMG show anything?
• Did physical therapy help?
• How long did recovery take?

Thanks everyone. It's been mentally exhausting trying to figure this out while waiting for my specialist appointment.