I went to the dentist for the first time in 9 years (gross, I know) because of intense pain and cracking in my left jaw joint. Also, I am ALWAYS tired and have head, neck, and back pain. I grind my teeth very hard during my sleep and am told that I even bite at the air during my sleep. Hearing from my fiance that I do that was extremely embarrassing because I had no idea. The dentist told me that I probably have TMD and that it might have been caused by my orthodontist requiring me to have 11 teeth pulled before getting braces so that my wisdom teeth would have enough room to come in straight. The new dentist advised me to immediately have my wisdom teeth removed (all four have completely grown in). While I respect her opinion, I am worried that if I have my wisdom teeth removed--I'm not going to have a whole lot of teeth left. Has anyone else experienced relief of TMD symptoms because he or she has had his or her wisdom teeth removed? Does anyone think that doing this will help me?