I just wanted to thank everyone for replying to my posts as well as others. I have learned so much about tmj just by reading the posts on here. I do know now that tmj maybe something I may have to deal with for the rest of my life. It could get better or worse. But worrying more about it I feel won't make my health any better. I have read a lot about the different types of treatments for tmj and all of them don't sound very promising. I feel that the most important thing to do is try to keep the cause under control which is the teeth grinding and clenching and other bad habits. I even went to inquire about neuromuscular dentistry and how they approach tmj. I am not willing to spend all that money. I even asked the dentist if I were to spend all that money and get my teeth fixed can you guarantee me that the tmj will be cured. He said no. In fact he said that if you do grind or clench your teeth again the tmj will reoccur. So then I said to myself then why spend all that money. I need to fix the causes. He told me its like having a sprain ankle and if we continue to do the things that will aggravate the situation the injury will never heal. I agree with him totally. Some dentist will say oh if your bite is off that could create more problems for the tmj. But I looked at my brother's teeth which is totally crooked and messed up and he has no tmj or pain in his jaw. My mom and dad also have no teeth and they don't have any jaw problems. I also have told my friends that I have tmj and that my jaw clicks. Practically all of my friends have clicking in their jaw or have had tmj before but they told me that its just something that is part of life. From all of this, I have to say that they are right. As long as we continue to let stress and anxiety rule our life, we will continue to have tmj and other health problems. Just my opinion.....

Kikaida