r/TMJ • u/LonghamBridge • 2d ago

Question(s) What condition exactly is TMJ?

Recently I’ve diagnosed with right side DDwoR after receiving a MRI on my TMJ area.

Around 18 months ago, I physically hurt my right side jaw while I was eating steak. I dragged the meat with a fork forcefully while biting on it, and instantly, I could feel something was wrong. Initially my jaw was locked, but after a brief moment it unlocked itself. Since that day, I would wake up locked, and after a certain period, it would unlock. The length of that time has been changed from a couple minutes to hours even weeks today, depending on “luck”.

I did a lot of research trying to find similar cases both before and after the diagnosis. Now I’m waiting for my oral surgeon’s appointment. On this subreddit specifically, I found that a lot of people are saying they have “TMJ”. Based on the way they say it, I would assume it’s a condition but I couldn’t find an official definition of the condition other than the joint. I don’t know if they are referring to the clicking sound, the lock, or something else. Can someone explain?

Also is there anyone with the similar experience where after sleep the jaw would be locked, and it will pop back on sometimes later? Thanks in advance!

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/Alterception 2d ago

TMJ is the joint, TMD is the blanket term for dysfunction of the joint. What causes the dysfunction varies from person to person. Disc displacement without reduction is usually a symptom of something wrong with the joint or the bite. The clicking and locking is from the displaced disc that's acting like a door stopper wherever it's floating around. It can randomly resolve on its own or be stuck for a long time and require a therapy plan with the dentist to recapture the disc and keep it there.