Find a dentist who is an expert in the TMJ, preferably one who uses either CBCT scans (a 3D form of X-ray) or MRI images to diagnose the situation. The images will help them see what is going on and hopefully propose the right treatment.

Your best action will be to find a dentist who is also a TMJ specialist. Preferably someone who has a CBCT (an advanced type of x-ray) which can give 3D views of the TMJ, or who regularly uses MRIs to analyze what is going on. You want someone treating you based on an accurate view of your joint, not someone who assumes they know the state of your TMJs based on your symptoms. The sooner you get attention the better as if one of your discs is displaced, and it sounds like that's the case, the longer it is displaced the more difficult it is to treat the joint.

@@BiteFX thank you very much

As this video shows healthy functions, you should be good!

Find a dentist who understands the TMJ, they should be able to check what is going on and let you know if it's an issue you need to be concerned about.

It is beyond our field. It's good thinking to suggest some sort of cushioning in the crown but once somebody understands that crowns on implants shouldn't be set at the same level as the natural teeth, the solution of creating the crown fractionally shorter is much easier than having a crown with in-built cushioning. I suspect that is a disincentive to anyone creating such crowns.

Whoever provided you with a splint that works to relieve your symptoms would be the best person to recommend a permanent solution. If that person is not available, look for another TMJ specialist in your area.

@@BiteFX usually what are the options to fix it permanently? Surgery and/or orthodontics? In my case what caused my tmd Is a 2 class malocclusion

@@toffer-2541 There's no single answer as it depends on exactly what the TMD problem is and how far off your teeth are from positions that will support a healthy TMJ. The fact that a splint can help relieve your symptoms gives hope that the changes required won't be too extreme - but that can only be confirmed by a TMJ-savvy dentist after diagnosing your bite and TMJ. Solutions range from making minor adjustments to a few teeth (adding or taking away small amounts of material), to orthodontics, to restoring multiple teeth, to surgery - depending on the severity of your problem. Lastly it's more likely that your TMD problem caused your class 2 malocclusion but that's for the dentist to determine and resolve.

@@BiteFX mine its a skeletal 2 class malocclusion so it's more likely that It Is the cause and not the consequence

Hi Yana. I'm sure this is a scary experience and not one you want to happen very often. I asked a TMJ specialist what he thought based on your comment. He said "Disc is displaced, needs to see a competent dentist in TMJ pathology to assess what may/should be done." In the meantime if you can recall what you did that caused your jaw to lock, like opening your mouth wide, try to avoid doing that. Wish you well.

The answer to your question depends on finding someone who can diagnose what's going on with your TMJs. Look for a dentist who understands the TMJ and will do a CBCT scan or MRI of your joints. Without one of those scans a person can only guess at what's going on. Your symptoms strongly indicate that you have at least one displaced disc but the scans will show the state of your bones.

Understand. The occlusal splint should be a short-term measure. It allows your condyles (jaw bones) to settle into their fully seated position in the joints (can take a while as your muscles and TMJ disc adjust to the new position) and allows the dentist to confirm that they have the right jaw position and required tooth adjustments. Once that is done, the dentist can propose permanent changes to your teeth that negate the need for wearing a splint. One of the leading dentists who use BiteFX, Dr. Chris Toomey, has developed a technique in the last year or two in which he builds up the teeth instead of creating a splint. It's still a temporary measure but I'm sure would be more to your liking - I'm sure that's one of the reasons Dr. Toomey is having so much success with this technique. He's in Towson, MD, a suburb of Baltimore - a long shot that you're anywhere close to him.

The splint that Dr. Reid was describing is a permissive occlusal splint. There are several different types with slight variations in design, usually determined by your dentist.

@@BiteFX thankyou 🙋🇭🇲🇭🇲🇭🇲

As far as you can, make sure that whoever is treating you has a good understanding of the TMJ - do you feel confident they "get" the concepts described in this video. Tonight we are hosting a webinar (for dentists) which features a physiotherapist, Carol Cote, who will describe how she works with dentists to help ease the symptoms being suffered by people like you. Unfortunately there aren't that many physiotherapists around who know the right things to do, but Carol tells me a key element is the CCTT qualification: Certified Cervical Temporomandibular Therapist. They can't cure your TMJ issues, but they can ease the pain and increase functional range.

@@BiteFX thankyou for your reply..the thing is I don't have any pain what so ever and good range and movement , this problem has left me confused and I have no trust in the system anymore.. all I do know is that when I Saw the video how it looks is exactly how my bite feels ..in my last comment to you I just noticed that I wrote yourning is easy..meant not easy thankyou

​@@littlelotta7975do u have condyle deterioration cause of an accident like in the video or not?

@@myemailsempiternallysucks no I don't no pain it just happened 🤷 specialists don't know, Joints are all good

@@littlelotta7975 so its just like asymmetrical jaw? if yes we have same problem

Unlikely. I haven't heard any TMJ expert describe unclogging ears as an additional benefit of using a splint to improve TMD issues. You'd want an ENT doctor with a TMJ (dentist) specialist to confirm this was a viable treatment option.

TMJ orthotics works for clogged ears?

@@prashanishah325 Same as previous reply. I was assuming you meant a TMJ orthotic when you said "splint".

Also, will fixing tmj will fix the assymetry of jaw?

@@calalkazimov6179 I've certainly heard some dentists talk about correcting scoliosis by using splints, but it's not a common specialty. It seems logical that if you have a problem in one TMJ that is producing an asymmetry in the jaw, that will influence how you hold your head, perhaps tilting to one side, and that in turn will feed down to your back so your spine curves. If the TMJ issue can be resolved, one would hope that the head posture would correct and that the scoliosis would also correct - unless there is some other cause of the scoliosis. What's more certain is that if there is asymmetry in your jaw, it likely indicates a TMJ problem and that fixing that TMJ problem can correct the asymmetry - provided the TMJ problem is fixable and hasn't advanced to a state where repair is difficult. Worth finding a TMJ specialist who can tell you what is going on with that joint.

Fill the form in on this page: hubspot.bitefx.com/help-me-find-occlusally-aware-dentists and we'll send you a list of those we know of who are close to you.

I'm 52 and I've been bothered by tmjd since I was 15. My lower jaw feels like it's clicking in and out of place. Do you know if there's a surgical solution for it?

Saya mengalami apa yang saudara rasakan . Sakit leher sakit kepala ,dan kualitas hidup memburuk . Bisa jelaskan pengobatan apa yang saudara jalani. Terima kasih

They’ll tell you that so you pay them to take them out (in many instances) needlessly.

You are correct. The splint needs to be the right one for the patient's condition. Splints won't always influence the position of the disk, but they can do, particularly if they are designed to reduce the pressure at the condyle and give a displaced disk a chance to recapture.

@@BiteFX Thank you for your reply!

Hello. I have this problem, but my dentis doesnt see this problem. When I wake up i bite on my back teeth- molars only, after one hour and more i bite on my front teeth - incisors.do I have to grind those back teeth or fill in the front ones? or wear braces? I have exactly the same situation as in your video under point 2.

Thanks for the comment Scott. Since this video was created 10 years ago we've refined the animations and, I hope, resolved your concern.

A pseudo disc can be formed by scarring of the retrodiscal tissue making a tough enough barrier between the condyle and the fossa to prevent those boney structures rubbing on one another. If it forms, it may prevent further degeneration but there's no guarantee. It doesn't always form - for example, if the retrodiscal tissue has perforated it's unlikely new tissue will grow to stop bone rubbing on bone.

These are all questions that your dentist needs to answer based on a good diagnosis of your current situation. For minor TMJ issues full recovery may be possible; for more severe issues it's more a case of stopping continued deterioration rather than recovering to full health. A splint is serving a different purpose than a mouth guard so the two are not interchangeable. Whether or not it is wise to box when you have a TMJ issue would again be a question for your dentist. With a TMJ problem, one of the areas of your body that is a prime target for a boxing opponent is damaged - do you want to spend much time and money to have things repaired or stabilized in that area only to be destroyed by a well-aimed punch? But you may feel that is just part of the risk of boxing.

@@BiteFX by minor do you mean just muscular non clicking and lock jaw issues? Thanks, i might just shift to wrestling (also i really meant muay thai instead of boxing). My dentist said i should stop but was just getting a second opinion about if my tmj is cured can i start again.

@@FM-dm8xj Some clicking and lock jaw issues are fixable. Sometimes you can have clicking, but it goes away, however, that can be a sign that things have got worse. Basically there's no hard-and-fast rule that says a particular set of symptoms you observe means your problem is fixable or not. Needs a TMJ-experienced dentist, with the appropriate scans, to diagnose and make that determination.

Splint therapy may be part of correcting an overjet issue but will not be all that is required. It may also be that no splint therapy is required. Only a TMJ/occlusally aware dentist, likely in collaboration with an orthodontist, can determine for sure.

I'd hope that a TMJ specialist would understand exactly what this video explains and know how to help you. There's a chance that your TMJs are mostly OK and that your problem is more with how your teeth are coming together when your condyles are fully seated. Changing the shape of the tooth that broke might have seemed sensible because it was sticking up and therefore taking most of the force and therefore broke, but that change allowed your condyles to take a different position when your teeth come together so that things don't feel the same as they used to. A dentist with a good understanding of occlusion (how the teeth come together, and how that relates to condyle position in the TMJs) should be able to diagnose what's going on and possibly give you some relief with a well-designed occlusal splint. I wouldn't let anyone reshape any more teeth until they've demonstrated that they can give you comfort (for several months) with a splint. You might be able to find an occlusally aware dentist who can see you much sooner than the TMJ specialist.

@@BiteFX Thank you for the reply. I had experienced extreme pain after the initial rework as it felt like my bottom teeth were digging severely into my front two, and it's just been a miserable experience since. I just regret ever having had the crown done, as I am fairly certain that dental office was the one that cracked it to begin with. Regardless, I will look into what you've written here, both the orthodontist and the initial dentist said to see the specialist, but perhaps a third opinion with a new dentist might be worth a shot. Thanks for taking the time to reply.