I have had both my joints replaced this year also after many painful and failed surgeries. I had my right side done in March and my left side in May. I have Lorenz implants which ones are you considering. My opening has improved greatly and i can chew for the first time in years. Obviously its still early days with regards to post op pain, but my quality for life has improved 100% since i had the replacement surgery please feel free to ask any questions.

Take care Samara

welcome to the board. Im gonna pm you a link that I think will help you out. its for people considering jaw surgery. ANyone else that wants it feel free to ask.

I am now 3 weeks out of surgery... I had severe overbite (excessive gums on the top), cross bite on the left and TMJ on the left...

I started my search to fix my headaches about 6 years ago and not one doctor would see me due to my eye tooth being imbedded into my nasal cavity... I had to go to Mexico to get a tooth under it taken out so the eye tooth would come down and then I was able to get an orthodontist to work on me and a surgeon to fix my headaches... About 1 1/2 years into braces they put rubber bands on me and said if the tension that pulls my bottom jaw forward takes the pain away, then surgery would most likely be the only way to rid myself of the headaches as the braces would come off and no longer have the tension...

I had upper jaw surgery where about 1/4 inch of gum was taken off, my lower left jaw was pulled out so that the joint would go in place properly and the doctor pinned my joint so that I wouldn't have the bone on bone that was causing my pain.

I am currently wired shut and have only the pain from the stitches and from yawning without being able to open my mouth... My jaw will heal in this position, I have no tension holding it forward so this should be how it will feel after I am unwired....

I was unaware of also the other symptoms that TMJ causes but I have been on back medication for a while (since 1995) and I don't have pain in my upper back anymore and I only did the surgery 3 weeks ago so if you have other pains, ask your doctor, they may be related to the TMJ, mine were and I had no idea..