What are temporomandibular joint disorders? Here’s what I’ve learned about our finicky temporomandibular joints about a year after my symptoms first hit. a board-certified TMJ and orofacial pain specialist in New York City and an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine. Determined to find a more empathetic medical professional, I did some digging and landed in the office of Nojan Bakhtiari, D.D.S., F.A.A.O.P. The pain rushed back worse than before, and I was terrified that I’d caused serious damage. But then, one day, I yawned without thinking about it and heard an unsettling crack. After seeing the dentist, I started to feel some improvement after a month. I started to hear clicking sounds in my jaw when I spoke for long periods of time and my bite felt all wrong. “I think affected all of us in a way that we were never prepared for,” she says.įor me, it all started to click-literally. Shuchi Dhadwal, B.D.S., D.M.D., assistant professor at Tufts School of Dental Medicine and former director of the Tufts Cranofacial Pain Center tells Prevention that she also saw an uptick in patients complaining of clenching and tight jaw muscles around June. In September 2020, New York City dentist Tammy Chen, D.D.S., wrote an article for The New York Times, and she revealed that she had “seen more tooth fractures in the last six weeks than in the previous six years.” She theorized that collective stress, a sudden shift to working from home, and a disrupted sleep schedule was spurring teeth clenching and grinding for many people-yeah, ouch. That spring, I felt extremely anxious and alone, but it would later become clear that I wasn’t the only one suffering through painful dental issues as the world was seemingly falling apart. As another month passed, my jaw pain grew worse. He told me to de-stress by “taking a walk outside or reading a book,” which made me feel totally dismissed. I tracked down a dentist who agreed to see me in person even during the pandemic, and I left with a pricey mouth guard and a prescription for 1,800 mg of ibuprofen a day. It felt as if a rubber band had been tied around my jaw and it was going to snap at any minute.

But the very next day, the pain struck again- hard. I’d never had issues with my jaw, so I was skeptical. We each have two of them, and they connect the lower jaw to the skull, allowing the mouth to move. But she told me it might be a problem with my temporomandibular joint (TMJ). At the time, I was convinced I had an ear or sinus infection.

After a useless telehealth call with a general physician, I tracked down an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) for another virtual appointment. It all began in March, just as COVID-19 hit the U.S. I was used to frequent headaches, but this slew of symptoms felt like something else. And, far worse than a tension headache, it felt as if a power drill were chiseling away at my temples.

A recurrent pinching sensation in my ears. But as spring bloomed into summer, stranger things cropped up. My first symptom-a swollen, achy neck-could’ve been anything.

Tufts endo board review