Jaw Problems (TMJ) UK

Hello Everyone

Currently having problems with my jaw that have dramatically worsened recently when on holiday in the past few weeks. It goes through stages where I cannot open my mouth very much at all, or opening with no restrictions but clicking loudly in my ear just to open my mouth. It has been jarring and not opening very wide for certain things like brushing my teeth for a few more months without pain.

A few years ago I was eating an apple and my jaw bone felt like it came dramatically out of place (I would not say as far as fully dislocated). I pushed it back in with my hand and over the few days that followed it became incredibly painful and clicked with chewy food. I went to my GP and it took 10 weeks for me to see the maxillofacial department. I was advised of physio to do, warm compresses, avoiding chewy food and trying to rest it as well as possible. I was an outpatient for 18 months and the clicking and pain had subsided a bit (but never gone) and I was discharged as an outpatient.

Now I have no idea what has brought it on, it is concentrated on the left side and came on when on holiday. At least 3 meals on holiday for 2 weeks I did not dare eat due to chewy bread and restricted alternative choices. I called the hospital department yesterday but they said I need referring again as it has been now over a year since I last attended. But the pain, clicking and locking in place are a lot worse than last time, and I keep waking myself up by rolling on it in the night and then cannot get back to sleep so I’m a bit of a zombie at work since going back.

It is lucky that I already had a dentist appointment this morning to check on my wisdom teeth – a week prior to going away I had an infection in the flap of gum that formed above my wisdom tooth. He said that they are fine in themselves but the infection was probably not helped in terms of keeping the area clean with the jaw restriction. He is referring me back again to the maxillofacial department. I told him that I am concerned with the 10 week delay in being seen as I am struggling to eat even non chewy food as my jaw is not letting me open very wide at all but he is not making any offers to put through as important or anything. So I have come out quite deflated to say the least!

Now considering what private options might be but the dentist thinks I have a slipped disc. He was confused as to why the last time I attended the hospital they did not do any x-rays/scans though just prodded around at it and asked questions.

I am convinced I have something that goes back further than the apple incident, I was able to click my joint in a double jointed type fashion when I was little. Also this sounds funny but I sometimes feel my subconscious may have been aware of an underlying issue by the sheer amount of dreams I had prior to the apple incident for many years about specific injuries to my jaw, like being punched in the face and it quite graphically being seriously ripped/broken. Never even been able to grind my teeth, I find the thought horrible in some way, and after asking around definitely not in my sleep either.

Not quite sure what I’m asking, partly just getting a moan off my chest to see if others have similar, part to see if anyone has any suggestions…