A few years ago I got two teeth removed (neccesary) and i've always grinded my teeth. Awhile after the original tooth was pulled I developed TMJ problems and probably some form of TMD.

I went to my doctor when the aches started and found out about TMJ exercises which I had already been doing once the problems started, and was told to just take Ibprofin etc.

Well essentially its been destroying my life pretty consistantly. Mouth pain, head-pain, eye-pain, ear-pain, jawpain. Theres been numerous times where I opened my mouth to hear audible (to everyone) popping and crunching noises (very rare) but its common to hear crunching/cracking when I open my mouth on one side.

It constantly feels like my bite is off to one side so I guess its slightly out of places and largely damaged.

My tmj problems seem to come sporadically throughout the day, not based on posture or psychology, probably on chewing, breathing or talking, but my jaw swells and the pain is unbearable.

I'd say its already at least 6/10 with that being excruciating (with symptoms like dizzyness due to the muscle-tightness in myy neck/ears when i get tmj problems) whatever. I have to get another tooth pulled on the side my problems have been and i've been consistantly getting worse despite treatment, so i'm thin king I might skyrocket to a ten.

On top of that plenty of people who take doctor's suggestions get worse because of the complexity of the join envolved and various types of damage, its easy to suggest surgery or other treatments, but the result is always a dice gamble.

I'm worried my life will be destroyed after this toothpull (it was for the first ones for months and months and months afterwords before getting better but in the end being far worse for each pull.)

Oh yeah, and no one takes it seriously, no one understands the type of pain except I assume other people with TMJ problems. Its essentially assumed that i'm just making stuff up by most people.