r/TMDnotTMJ

These three terms can be confusing because they may be used to describe the same damaged condyle from different points of view.

Arthritis describes inflammation or degeneration within the joint. Idiopathic condylar resorption, or ICR, means the condyle is progressively losing bone and the cause remains unknown after other causes have been ruled out. A compressed condyle describes a proposed mechanical problem in which the condyle and surrounding tissues are being loaded or restricted in an unhealthy position.

A CBCT may show flattening, erosion or loss of condylar bone, but the picture alone may not explain why it happened. It also may not show whether the destruction is active or occurred years ago.

Patients should ask:

• What exactly do you see—flattening, remodeling, erosion or active bone loss?
• Is this only an imaging finding, or is it a confirmed diagnosis?
• Do you have an earlier scan for comparison?
• How will you determine whether the condition is still progressing?
• What evidence supports arthritis, ICR or mechanical compression in my case?
• Should I have an MRI to examine the disc, inflammation and other soft tissues?
• Have autoimmune, inflammatory, hormonal, traumatic and surgical causes been considered?
• Do I need an evaluation by a rheumatologist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
• Could my changing bite, open bite, jaw retrusion or facial changes indicate loss of condylar height?
• How will treatment protect the joint, and how will you monitor whether it is working?

The most important question may be: Are you naming what the damaged condyle looks like, or have you determined why it is being damaged?

A responsible diagnosis should combine the patient’s history, examination, bite and jaw function, appropriate imaging, medical evaluation when indicated, and comparison over time. One scan should not be expected to answer every question.

I work with TMD patients, and I’ve noticed how many conflicting things people hear about TMJ.

For example:

• “Jaw clicking is normal.”
• “A night guard will fix TMJ.”
• “Stress is the cause of TMJ.”
• “If your jaw doesn’t hurt, you don’t have a TMJ problem.”
• “TMJ is something you just have to live with.”

Some of these statements have a little truth behind them. Others are much more complicated than they sound.

The tricky part is that TMD can look very different from person to person. Symptoms can include jaw pain, headaches, neck pain, limited movement, muscle tenderness, joint sounds, and other functional problems.

A proper evaluation should look at the whole picture rather than relying on one symptom or one image.

What’s the biggest thing you were told about TMJ that you later found out wasn’t quite right?

I’m curious what people here have been told by dentists, doctors, physical therapists, or other providers.

Put your fingertips on your temples and gently bite down and release several times. Move your fingers around until you clearly feel the muscle tighten. That is your temporalis muscle, one of the major muscles that closes your jaw.

Do this on both sides. Now gently feel around the muscle. Are there areas that are sore, tender, or feel like a little knot? A tender knot may be what is commonly called a trigger point.

Here's another interesting check. Keep a finger on the temporalis and slowly open and close your mouth while moving your finger upward toward the top of your head. At some point, you will reach a line where you no longer feel the muscle moving. That helps you find the upper border where the muscle transitions into its attachment via tendons. Inflamed tendons can also cause pain.

If pressing along the muscle or its attachment reproduces the pain or headache you commonly experience, that is useful information to tell whoever is examining your TMD. This type of exam should happen when your dentist is examining you for TMD.

It doesn't diagnose the cause of your TMD. It simply gives you another clue about what structures may be involved.

When I was 10/ 11 I went to a public dental clinic and they told my family that my upper left first molar needed to be extracted. They said it was no big deal — that the next tooth would “fall into place” and everything would be fine. We trusted them. There was no discussion about long-term consequences, orthodontics, or how this might affect the development of my jaw and face. It was just a quick decision, and it changed my life in ways I never could’ve imagined.

From the moment that tooth was gone, things were never quite the same. I remember I couldn’t chew properly anymore. Food would get stuck in my throat, and I had to drink water just to swallow it down. If I ever got sick, I couldn’t swallow bigger pills — my throat always felt tight, like it wasn’t opening right. Something in my swallowing, my chewing, my whole oral function just stopped working the way it used to.

Over time, more symptoms started showing up. My face became asymmetrical. My bite felt off. I developed TMJ pain, cross bite on the side the tooth was extracted, jaw tension, popping, and headaches. My neck and shoulders were constantly tight. I had forward head posture. I started grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw at night. Breathing through my nose became harder, and I found myself mouth breathing more and more, especially during sleep. I stopped sleeping deeply — always waking up tired, sometimes with jaw pain or brain fog. I didn’t even know what “good sleep” felt like anymore.

I’ve since learned that losing that molar so early caused a collapse in my upper arch. It disrupted my bite, my jaw joint, tongue posture, airway, and the whole skeletal balance of my face. That tooth was a structural cornerstone — and without it, everything above and below started compensating… badly.

The worst part is, no one ever explained this. I was just a kid. I didn’t get a say. And now, as an adult, I’m dealing with the consequences of that rushed decision made years ago in a public clinic. The only real solution for my case now is double jaw surgery — to realign my bite, restore facial balance, and open my airway again. And first treat My TMJ, as one side the condyle is out of the socket. The emotional side of all this runs deep too. I’ve grieved the version of myself I never got to be — the one with a strong, symmetrical face, who slept well, who could chew and swallow normally, who maybe had the confidence to go after his dreams, maybe even become an athlete ( i used to have very big potential and was chasing it all life, not knowing where it went wrong ) . Instead, I was slowly disconnected from my body without realizing it, and only years later did I begin putting the pieces together.

It wasn’t “just a tooth.” It was a turning point. It changed my physiology, my self-image, my energy, and my quality of life. And no one warned us.

I’m not posting this for pity. I’m posting it because it’s still happening to kids today. If you’re a parent, don’t let anyone extract permanent teeth without a long-term plan. If you’re someone who’s experienced something similar — you’re not alone. And if you feel like something is wrong in your body but no one believes you — trust your instincts. You’re probably right.

I’m still trying to understand, to heal, and to rebuild. I just want to feel whole again :(

I shared the below link about the importance of the airway and TMJ to learn and educate ourselves videos like these should be mandatory with a specific training for any dentist, maxillofacial surgeon, ENT, physiotherapist, and even generalist/doctor. It would be highly beneficial for the public health wordwidely and lower the high rate of TMD worsened by unproper treatments. https://youtu.be/PVxlL\_lMces?is=LPjOK67xUyKq0wjt