Name: Marcus, 46
Occupation: Teacher
Symptoms: Clicking jaw, facial pain, earaches, difficulty chewing
“I started noticing a popping sound every time I chewed, and sometimes my jaw would lock slightly when I opened my mouth too wide. I also had random earaches that I thought were ear infections. After seeing an ENT and then being referred to a specialist, I was diagnosed with TMJ dysfunction.”
“Surgery was mentioned as a possibility, which honestly scared me. But before going down that road, my dentist created a custom mouth guard designed to reposition my jaw and reduce pressure on the joint. Within a month, the popping became less frequent, and I could eat without pain. After three months, I barely noticed my TMJ symptoms at all. No surgery needed.”
“Using the mouth guard consistently gave my jaw the break it needed to heal. I only wish I had tried it sooner.”