Signed,
Jaws

From the terminology you've used in your question, it sounds as though you've read a lot about your jaw-popping already. You might even have come to some conclusions about what the problem is. Of course, a "diagnosis" via the Internet cannot be made without actually examining you, so Alice is hesitant to answer your questions about what is wrong, whether it is serious, and whether it requires immediate attention (though it doesn't appear to sound life-threatening). Also, self-diagnosis is generally discouraged, since there might be something you're missing if you're not a trained medical professional.

Because of all this, your next step is to see a health care professional in person about this problem as soon as you reasonably can. A medical provider or a dentist could likely make a diagnosis, based on the history you describe and a physical examination, even if you are not able to "reproduce" the phenomenon of your jaw slipping out on demand. (Don't let this be a reason not to seek a medical opinion.)

The difficulty is, it sounds as if you've sought professional advice from your school's health services, but that the advice you've been given hasn't satisfied you. So, the real issue here is what do you do in that case? Where can you get further information or seek a second opinion? It is a little difficult to advise you since your financial limitations and health insurance coverage are unknown.

A first step is to communicate with the health professional you saw at your school's health services. Let him or her know that you need more information about your jaw, that you are concerned, and that you still have questions about your ongoing problem. Let him or her know that you don't understand the diagnosis s/he made (if s/he, indeed, made one), the causes of the problem, nor the treatment s/he prescribed. (Take your own research in with you and show it to the provider; tell him/her what you know and what you don't and ask for an elaboration and explanation.) Then if you don't like the information you receive, you could also see another health care provider at Health Services. Tell the provider that you'd like a second opinion and ask if s/he could refer you to another medical provider or dentist who could provide you with better, more thorough information. If you still feel dissatisfied and if your finances allow it, you can seek an opinion from another health practitioner not employed by your school's health services, or if you regularly see a dentist, maybe this would be the person to see, if you started with a medical provider.

The main thing is, don't give up until you are satisfied that you understand your problem and what can be done about it. Unfortunately, being proactive and persistent is what is required of people given how our medical system operates today. You have to take initiative and be assertive to make certain that you get the information you need for your healthcare.

Hope this helps,

Alice

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