TMJ?

[Localghostchild]

I’m curious if playing with your teeth via tongue will cause TMJ?

Okay let me explain better

I’ve got quite a few deteriorating teeth and i frequently feel around my mouth with my tongue because I’m overly aware of the breaks, cracks and holes in my teeth. Within the last two or three days I’ve had awful pain in my jaw/gums/upper throat/ear on the right side of my face causing headaches as well. It’s lightened up since day one but I’m looking into what might have started the pain and it all seems to point to TMJ?
It happens every few months and is accompanied by the inability to open my mouth wide enough for even one finger. Could it be TMJ or is my jaw area just sore from messing with my teeth too often?

Numbing cream doesn’t seem to help as the pain seems to be coming from the lowest and highest portion of my jar rather than the tooth/gum area

 

[Gordon]

Could it be TMJ or is my jaw area just sore from messing with my teeth too often?

Yes but not from that

It happens every few months and is accompanied by the inability to open my mouth wide enough for even one finger.

That's a pretty clear sign that the TMJ is involved.

We've got a very helpful article on TMJ here: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/faq/tmj-pain/