Ok, I have this painful bump above where the jaw connects below whatever bone is right there. It isn’t large, but I can tell it is a bump because there isn’t one on the other side of my face. It is very painful if I open my mouth too wide. I did not get any hit to the face or anything that could have caused it. Now I do not know if this is some strange swelling or something worse. Should I be very concerned?
Between your temporal bone (skull) and mandible (jaw) there’s a disc of cartilidge which can slip out of place and cause pain where the TM joint meets, as well as prevent your jaw from opening fully.
There are many causes for this - sometimes something severe like a car accident and other times just fate. There’s also many treatments.
I suggest you speak with your dentist who can refer you to a good orthodontist or cranio-facial specialist who can help you out. Your dentist can take x-rays to see if it is even a problem like i described or something else. This is definitely a “do not diagnose nor treat yourself” kind of situation.
In the meantime - http://www.tmj.org/
Thank you very much. But the problem is, we are flying out for Puerto Vallarta tomorrow. Is it too serious that it couldn’t wait for a week (annoying part is the pain) or do I ABSOLUTELY need to get it checked right away?
Ok, I’m back, and the pain has been gone for a while. But the bump is still there, and there is absolutely no pain. Do I still need to get it checked, or will it go away?
The people I know with TMJ report it as a cyclical thing- it never goes away but will sometimes be in “remission” or “sleep mode” for awhile. If you have insurance, I’d get it checked. Maybe they can pop the bump back into place for awhile. I’d see a dentist and perhaps a chriopractor (chiro was recommended by friend with TMJ).