The video should speak for itself. Unfortunately, there are a lot of politics in dentistry, just like every profession or organization.
Here is an attempt to change that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6tHi_nYqmM
It is imperative to get the right diagnosis because you may NOT have arthritis.
A CAT scan (CT or CBCT) can show a damaged or flattened TMJ condyle, but the confusion comes from why the damage happened.
Many radiologists or dentists may simply label the joint as “arthritis” because they see:
But a compressed joint can create those same changes.
Here is the mechanical concept:
When the condyle is forced backward and upward into the socket because the bite and jaw position are not harmonious, constant pressure is placed on the bone. Bone under chronic pressure can activate osteoclastic activity, meaning the body starts resorbing or breaking down bone in response to overload.
So the scan may show:
The question becomes:
Is this primary arthritic disease, or is it mechanically induced breakdown from compression?
That distinction matters.
A mechanically compressed joint may improve when the condyle is decompressed and allowed to sit in a healthier position. Symptoms often reduce because pressure is reduced. The bone may remodel into a more stable shape, even if it never looks “perfect” again.
In simple terms:
Unfortunately, on imaging alone, they can look very similar.
It is imperative to get the right diagnosis because you may NOT have arthritis.
A CAT scan (CT or CBCT) can show a damaged or flattened TMJ condyle, but the confusion comes from why the damage happened.
Many radiologists or dentists may simply label the joint as “arthritis” because they see:
But a compressed joint can create those same changes.
Here is the mechanical concept:
When the condyle is forced backward and upward into the socket because the bite and jaw position are not harmonious, constant pressure is placed on the bone. Bone under chronic pressure can activate osteoclastic activity, meaning the body starts resorbing or breaking down bone in response to overload.
So the scan may show:
The question becomes:
Is this primary arthritic disease, or is it mechanically induced breakdown from compression?
That distinction matters.
A mechanically compressed joint may improve when the condyle is decompressed and allowed to sit in a healthier position. Symptoms often reduce because pressure is reduced. The bone may remodel into a more stable shape, even if it never looks “perfect” again.
In simple terms:
Unfortunately, on imaging alone, they can look very similar.
I am building a team of dentists trained to help educate Reddit users about one of the most confusing pain conditions: TMD/TMJ.
This is the beginning of a worldwide educational project, and over time more dentists and moderators will be added.
Self-promotion will not be allowed in discussions. If you connect with a particular dentist or moderator, you can simply visit their profile for more information.
Modern technology allows practicing dentists to share educational tools such as Cone Beam scans, Tek Scans, and other diagnostic images that help demonstrate things like joint position, airway issues, and bite relationships. I am retired and no longer have access to this technology, but moderators involved in active practice may be able to share examples for educational purposes.
To begin this experiment, I am posting a video explaining what a compressed jaw joint is and asking moderators to post Cone Beam examples of compressed joints. My hope is that this information will help people better understand their condition and eventually help them find dentists who recognize and treat joint compression.
Please be patient when waiting for moderator responses. Most are practicing dentists with busy schedules.
Reddit encourages different subs of the same topic to share information for the benefit of its readers.
There are pain subs where moderators refuse to post information on TMD as self-promotion. It is very frustrating, FYI.
I am a retired TMD treating dentist. My second, non-paying career, now in my eighties, is sharing my knowledge of 50 years as a dentist treating the pain patient. Fibromyalgia and TMD can run together and confuse diagnosis and treatment.
As a dentist, by law, I could not diagnose or treat fibromyalgia, but I can tell you that many, many of my TMD patients also had MD-diagnosed fibromyalgia. Just because someone has TMD, it doesn't mean they have fibro but if someone has fibro, a high percentage are also going to have TMD.
I am inviting fibromyalgia patients to start a journey of learning about TMD by visiting https://www.reddit.com/r/TMDnotTMJ/. There are also forty podcasts on the subject at https://www.youtube.com/@OpenUp-ATMJDiscussion-w7l
MDs are not trained in TMD so it is wise to educate yourself; you don't deserve all the pain.
Finding the right dentist is hard because so few know what they are doing. Search iccmo.org or aaop.org for dentist who claim to specialize. To learn more and to listen to dentists who khow what they are doing, become a follower of https://www.youtube.com/@OpenUp-ATMJDiscussion-w7l, where two ICCMO dentist discuss all thing TMJ.
They tend to run together. This podcast explains why and how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGMq0qNzzao&t=146s