What is TMJ and what does the dentist do about it?
In the middle of the night I woke up and when I moved the bottom of my jaw to the left I could feel the bones pop and go back in place when I moved my jaw to its original position. It just happened all of a sudden! Up till now my jaw does lock, but I don't feel it pop like it did. It still does pop and it hurts.
My mom told me I have TMJ and started listing family members (including herself) that have it.
What is TMJ and what does the dentist do about it?
TMJ is the term for the joint. TMD is temporomandibular disorder, which means that you are having problems with that joint (just like you can have problems with any other joint).
The dentist would usually recommend a nightguard to help maintain your jaw in the correct position, or for severe cases, surgery may be necessary.