Questions about TMD, do i have it? How is it treated?!

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You are quite young to get TMD at your age. Clicking of popping of the jaw does not necessarily mean you have TMD, and is sometimes considered normal. You can actually see a TMJ specialist. Also, you can have your dentist check it out. I'm thinking that you overworked your Masseter muscle. This is due from clenching and grinding at night, and you might not even know it.

Please ignore Igorek's post becasue he is completely wrong on all counts. There is no age limit on when TMJ can develop. Children younger than 5 years old have been found to have TMJ in the dental literature.

To self diagnose TMJ, stick your pinkies into your ear canals with the soft part facing forward and open and close wide normally (do not force yourself to open wider than normal). If you feel clicking then you have TMJ (aka TMD). Normal joints, whether they are located in the fingers, knees, or jaw do not make noises when they function. They are supposed to work noiselessly and smoothly without any pain. Anything other than that means pathology is present. If you or others hear your jaws making noises as you open and close, that too is a sign that you have TMD. Another test you can perform is to stand in front of a mirror and very very slowly open your mouth. When I say slowly I really mean slowly; it should take about 5 seconds to open an inch from incisal edge of the lower front teeth to the incisal edge of the upper front teeth. If you have TMJ the mandible will deviate to one side and then move back to the middle as you open wide. A normal TMJ will open perfectly straight without deviating. However, if you open too quickly, this deviation is often missed. TMJ, especially in the beginning, does not necessarily cause pain and discomfort so do not let the absence of pain be your guide. Pain sets in when the muscles and ligaments that are attached to the TMJ get over stressed and traumatized and this is called a musculoskeletal disorder and cause referred pain to other parts of the body (like headaches in females). Stress is seldom the cause of TMJ but it can aggravate an existing TMJ condition. In many past posts I have provided detailed information to others on TMJ treatment; just click on my icon to see all the answers I have provided to many other posters on this forum. To help you locate someone who can treat you check out www.iaortho.org. In the meantime, avoid all hard foods, chewy foods, do not chew gum, and try to get into the habit of keeping your lips together but teeth apart (the reason for this is explained in several of my answers to others). Moist heat is the only thing that you will be able to use to alleviate the pain. I prefer not to use drugs but if you wish, ibuprofen will help.

functional orthodontist; treated TMJ since 1984