Is it possibile for a 16 year old to have TMJ?

[elizisland]

I have TMJ and it started when I was about 35, 4 years ago. It's pretty bad. I've got bone degeneration on my left side and had a splint until I misplaced it for a week and then couldn't get it to fit in my mouth when I found it bbecause my teeth had moved too much!

Well, my 16 year old daughter is complaining of the same symptoms--blocking jaw, clicking, pain, headaches, can't open her mouth, problems eating certain foods. She has an appointment to get a wisdom tooth pulled tomorrow but tonight she was in so much pain from the jaw that she said she won't be able to keep her mouth open wide for the duration of the procedure. When she had a cleaning done three weeks ago she was in tears after 20 minutes.

I think I need to get the jaw prob sorted before doing the extraction, or...I don't know. I'm not even able to find proper help for my own TMJ so I don't know where to turn to for her. Sigh. BTW, I live in Italy...not real advanced here in the medical field, especially not the docs and dentists where i live)

So...could she have TMJ problems? Do we get rid of the wisdom tooth first? Arrrgh...(I'm clenching my teeth over this).

[Ramin Mehregan, DMD]

Here are the names of few TMJ experts in Italy. The Bergamini family (Father and Daughter) I met many years ago and I know they are excellent. Hope this helps

Giorgio Bagnasco
16153 Genova Sestri,
Italy
Phone: [phone]

Franco Abeniacar
57125 Livorno,
Italy
Phone: [phone]

Maurizio Bergamini
50100 Firenze,
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: ***@****

Isabella Bergamini
50100 Firenze
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: ***@****

Riccardo Boschiero
36100 Vicenza,
Italy
011 39 0444 938 490
Email: ***@****

Pietro Bracco
10141 Torino,
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: ***@****

Claudio Cafarelli
54033 Carrara,
Italy
Phone: [phone]

Roberto Cornalba
20100 Milano,
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: ***@****

Andrea Deregibus
10141 Torino,
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: dere.***@****

Henry Didier
20122 Milano,
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: ***@****

Luciano Falchetta
54036 Marina de Carrara,
Italy
Phone: [phone]

Germano Gritti
36100 Vicenza,
Italy
Phone: [phone]
Email: ***@****

If you need more names you can visit http://www.iccmo.org/locate/italy.html

[Gennipher]

It could definitely be TMJ even at her young age. Mine started around 10 years old and it's only gotten worse with age. It's a terrible thing to have to deal with. :(

[scottma]

Your daughter's presentations are classical presentations of temporomandibular disorder. Seeing a tmj specialist is advised.