I'm wondering if any of you have developed tmj as a result of teeth clenching? I have developed pain in the back of my jaw and into my ear. Ive been to the dentist.. no cavities. What does tmj feel like? Thanks!

Well I developed TMJ about 15-20 yrs ago. Mine started with licking and popping in my joint. My left side is worst and my right side started maybe 10 yrs ago. I do clench and grind my teeth. Especially at night. I wear a TMJ splint at night and I have a day splint that I wear when it is especially bad. My jaw pops so bad that even the dentist cringed when she hears me open my mouth. I get headaches, ear pain sometimes, jaw pain, and my muscles in my head/face/neck are all tight and painful. I clench really bad when my feet are doing poorly (RSD is in feet).
I would talk to your dentist about having a splint made for you. Is should be thicker than a night guard and mine is made of acrylic. The idea is that you won't be able to clench too hard and the muscles will be more relaxed. TMJ can be painful and continue to get worse if you don't address it now. Good luck

J

early on I learned about the red tmj link and learned my sheer luck that chewing gum helps me deal with the pain better and i don't clench my teeth when i chew.. I also noticed that in PT a lot of the other patients suffering some kind of chronic pain used chewing gum in the same way.. I don't think science exists for it. but it helps me