Ida
I have TMJ due to an auto accident 10 years ago. See a good dentist, as I am doing. My dentist is re-doing four lower gold crowns one, because they are old crowns and are leaking, but another reasone is that your dentist can make a bite plate splint and you can wear it and return to dentist once a week or once every two weeks to have the splint adjusted. If dentist knows what he's doing he'll start out with a splint that will fully open your bite then he'll have you wear it for two weeks and when you go back he'll adjust it a little lower, and keep going doing the same thing until you reach a comfortable relief from the TMJ. A GOOD dentist will build up your lower molars and have you wear a splint... I don't know where you live, but I have an excellent dentist in the San Diego California area. If you need his name, let me know. Otherwise, if you do as I suggested you may find relief. Perhaps you can just wear a splint all the time instead of costly dental procedures. Also, see a GOOD physical therapist who has treated TMJ before. Meanwhile, perhaps warm or cold cloths on the outside area will help, along with some Ibuprofen, if you can take it. Don't chew hard foods and candy and such. You may be "clenching" your teeth, especially during the night when y ou are sleeping, so a splint will help. I hope you can get some relief. Also, the Internet has information if you just go to it and enter TMJ. You may wish to have your neck and back checked out, also, depending on how you got TMJ.