"Annoyingly, this forum doesn't enable posting clickable links"

Actually, it does. At the bottom of the text box that you type in there are symbols. If you click on the last one, "Link" and follow the obvious prompts, you can post a clickable link.

Uh, sorry for the incomplete accuracy. What i meant is that the admin set this forum to auto-screen and cull out posts which contain links you copy/paste within the paragraph you want them in. It's annoying, cuz it deceptively turns into a clickable-link initially, only to be culled out later. And you only realize later on that it was culled from the public listing, since it initially does get posted publicly. This happened to me before when I pasted a link within my post. Why does it have to be so awkward (needing to use their built-in app), rather than like other forums? But OK, let me go back and try what you said. Thanks for the reminder.

So sorry you're dealing with so much suffering. Hoping things improve for you soon.

And there are a couple of ways to add links to a post. You can copy and paste URLs directly, you can use the Link button below, and tho the formatting doesn't convert hyperlinks embedded in copied and pasted text, it will automatically make a link when you type something like this: houzz.com or even like this.an

P.S. One thing I've noticed as my age advances is that joint injuries take much longer to recover from, and happen more easily too.

I don't have much to offer for a solution, but I am sorry you are suffering so much pain. I do grind my teeth at night and have an appliance. It was not comfortable at first so I had my dentist grind it where it was tight until it was comfortable. It must be helping as it's rather damaged by my teeth. It also helped my TMJ and I haven't had trouble with it since...that and not biting into apples or hard chocolate any more, but cutting it first instead.

I hope you are able to find a solution soon and resolve you pain.

Actually carolb, thanks for the sympathy, though as for pasted links, most times when i copy-paste directly, those posts are culled out from the public listing (and only appear on My Activity). That happened to me today, and another time.

But I tried collen's Link suggestion, and that [more-awkward] way worked. I hope they don't cull out this re-done thread too, after the trouble of deleting and re-doing it without the standard pasted links!

Interesting nicole. One thing I don't have with my jaw is a "popping" noise like others' experience. That's one of the reasons why I can't be sure its TMJ.

Basically, what I describe is an exercise for your TMJ. Which makes sense. An over worked muscle or joint can get relief from a massage...or working out the kinks.

So sorry you are struggling so much. I have been dealing with TMJD for 30 years, though it’s not nearly as bad as yours anymore. I recall one dentist appointment where they replaced a filling in the back of my mouth. My mouth was open extra wide for a long time and ached for weeks after. I haven’t found hot or cold to be especially effective. I do wear a bite splint and it helps.

If I were you I’d look for a TMJ specific dentist, one that sees only TMJ patients. There are a ton of videos about TMJ on Youtube - some of them are quite helpful and may give you an idea if PT will help.

nicole, I realize that. But I don't want to take a chance on doing it on myself, as I'm not an expert. I say that especially because I have fibromyalgia, and massage therapists I used in the past always hurt me, rather than helped. Ditto with an acupuncturist. When someone's nervous-system is hypersensitive, pressure or needle penetrations can cause alot of damage, which is what happened to me in 1990 during acupuncture. Others have endured the same as me when they either had EMGs or else varicose-vein procedure. BTW, I've watched the videos by phys.therapists on YouTube, but got dizzy trying to recall the different sequences they did, and in what order.

Bluebell I've been trying to find a TMJ physiatrist or phys.therapist. I've been contacting physiatrists, and one said over the phone that the physiatrist doesn't know about TMJ. The other one whom I emailed responded that he'll look into it and get back to me". (Something like that)

, plus my right cheek feels a bit more puffy than my left one. As if its swelled. (And, BTW, biting on Tooth-30 still hurts, six days post-root-canal.

You are only 6 days post procedures. Two procedures only a couple of days apart. You presented with already angry inflamed nerves. Possibly infected as well. Swelling, puffiness is normal. Should have used an ice pack post procedure & continued. What were the post procedure instructions? Did you follow them?

Give it more time and try ice packs.

He also kept squeezing on my outer cheek (where Tooth 30 is) despite my having emphasized to him that that spot became bruised during treatment the previous week.

Your dentist was checking to see if the area was sufficiently numbed before he starting poking & prodding & prying & drilling. A bit of bruising vs undergoing a root canal (on an angry tooth at that!) without anesthetics? Which would you rather?

I once went to a dentist who had all the latest and greatest equipment. He began by putting a camera in my mouth that showed a huge magnified image on a screen in front of me. The surface of my tooth looked like a lunar landscape (which I found out later is normal.) He then sent in an assistant to do the filling and came in afterward just to check it. Then, he met with me sitting at a desk in a fancy office, to discuss future work. The next day, my whole jaw ached and he told me I "must have TMJ," which I'd never had.

The good news is, after about a week, the aching disappeared. I went to a different dentist (found on Yelp) whose office was very basic and who did the work himself. He told me that the pain was not TMJ, but that they'd probably irritated a nerve. Hopefully your pain will go away on its own. Also, I've had great success finding professionals and other resources using Yelp. You might want to check it out.

I had THE ODDEST experience with a root canal. Well over a month after the procedure--maybe longer I developed such a pain in my jaw, it grew worse and pain killers really didn't help. My dentist would/couldn't see me, I decided to seek medical advise--I wondered if I had an infection. Nothing found. Then went to a new dentist and he adjusted the bite a tish. That helped a lot and the pain subsided. My pain was sooo odd. It made me feel like I could shut my mouth in alignment with my bottom teeth. I still do not know what or why or what was going on but the pain was real and frightening when I feared an infection. Anywhooo I guess what helped was a new dentists being able to grind a bit on the new fake tooth that an a lot of acetaminophen. I am due for a root canal on the other side and I am very hesitant after that experience!! Every body is different so I don't think it's the dentist its me and I don't want that again!! The moral of my story is don't hope to see a dentist over Easter weekend unless it's an emergency and my pain wasn't deemed one!!!

My crown was done on Sept.8th, followed by root-canal Sept.13. Within those few days, that amounted to approx. Six injections, not to mention prolongedly opening my mouth WIDE.

By now its been nearly two weeks, and my entire right cheek/jaw from mouth to ear is tender, and it still hurts to open mouth beyond 1/2 inch.

I feel as if it may be my muscles affected, not just nerves.

I already tried ice-pak and warm flax-pak alternatingly, but those didn't help. Nor was i helped by Flexiril-plus-ibuprofen.

I'm considering going to the E.R. I have no idea whether the E.R. might administer MRI or ultrasound to detect the extent, if any, of soft-tissue trauma.

arcy, its not the bite, as I went back to the dentist on Sept.21, and he had me grind my teeth, and said my bite is fine. He then said its my soft tissue thats bruised, and that it should take a month to heal. But I haven't been feeling any healing these past weeks. You say you're due for a root canal - but if I were you, I'd get assessed by two separate implantologists to ask their opinion (but don't get lured by offers of crowns the way I did!) The reason i suggest this, is because i've read and personally heard better outcomes about implants from those who've experienced both root-canal AND implant.

Jupidupi, your dentist's setup sounds exactly like mine, except i'm not healing, and mine has been WAY more than a filling. And I wouldn't trust online reviews too much anymore, because thats exactly how I got into this trap. You should also know, that I've been to a fancy place 20 years ago which was great, but then I've been to fancy places which were ultra-painful. And vice versa too, i've been to primitive setups which were painful as well. So there's absolutely no guarantee's. It's Russian roulette, or perhaps a matter of luck and genetics. It could also be the "age" factor, as I'm over 60.

Here's an update:

Last week the pain management physiatrist examined the MRI of my TMJ and Cervical spine. He then confirmed that my right side (where i'm hurting, and where tooth #30 was done) sustained cartilage damage. He called it a mess. He spoke of potential Botox and Cortisone injections. He also mentioned I may possibly need surgery, which terrifies me to the Nth degree as i read horror testimonials online. So much for my primary doctor, who merely looked at me and claimed "your cheek isn't swollen". Dead wrong.

As for cervical, he said I have arthritis in my neck, and that was very probably a contributing factor toward my susceptibility to TMJ injury.

He advised me to visit a TMJ knowledgeable dentist for further opinion re: Botox & Cortisone etc., so I'm hoping to soon schedule a consult with an oral surgeon.

Frankly, at this point, I have major reservations re: all doctors who keep throwing curveballs at us such as "A is because of B, and C is because of D". Who cares if my neck-arthritis could have caused me susceptibility. The bottom line is, this never happened to me UNTIL the endodontal-butcher forced me into an unnatural situation within ONE week ALL because of HIS error AND ignoring my plea's about what i can handle.

Another curveball example, is when a butcher-podiatrist insisted that my foot pain is probably due to bad back. That know-it-all podiatrist was responsible for THREE needless problems I incurred subsequently. (1) He insisted on putting an Ace on my ankle, even though I never visited him due to my ankle, rather my Tarsal-Tunnel. That Ace was the cause of irreversible swelling & tenderness to my ankle. Furthermore, (2) because he scared me about my back, I visited a chiropractor who REALLY butchered my back - I began to have true back pain subsequent to my series of visits to him. (3) I visited a phys.therapist re: my back, and they had me pulling on a rope without even monitoring me, basically leaving me to my devices. That repetitive-stress caused my left ring finger to thicken with arthritis.

Wow

I finally got to visit an oral surgeon yesterday. He saw the MRI CD. He also felt both jaws and said they both have very hard muscles. (whereas the pain doctor has stated "cartilage damage").

The surgeon's assistant gave me a bilateral facial ice pack which contraption i cant figure out despite her demo. Here's the link to the contraption: https://products.halyardhealth.co.uk/infection-prevention/patient-care/cold-therapy/bilateral-facial-ice-pack.html

So i've been researching online TMJ ice packs. None of the online pics appear to extend until the patient's nose. My swelling is right near my nose and lips.

The surgeon said he'd obtain the "notes" from the radiology center, and also confer with my pain doctor, as well as try to fast track some other doctors for me to visit.

Because I didn't get early treatment, I fear my pulled muscles have become chronic.