Advice for seeking ongoing investigation into health concerns

Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to read.

I guess my post/question is centred around advice on how to advocate for myself when seeking further help from my GP.

I've had daily temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ) since July 2025 with no apparent reason as to why it began, and given the disorder diagnosis since seeing an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in October 2025. At that appointment I was told it was too early to look at other treatment options. (I had a dental splint made in August at my dental office, which the OMFS looked at in October.) The OMFS said to "keep going with the splint and we will see how things are at your follow up." (Which is later this month, before Christmas.)

I will be honest and say I left that appointment with the OMFS deflated – my pain was unpleasant most days and I had gone hoping there would be some relief. (I knew going in that there is no immediate fix for this but I had hoped there would be additional support for managing the pain.) It was daily tension headaches, jaw pain and stiffness, difficulty concentrating and listening (which was weird to experience combined with ADHD medication. Felt like the medicaition wanted to work but wasn't effective) among other symptoms. Since keeping with the splint, the intensity of my pain has dampened somewhat (never completely subsided - only major change was the frequency of tension headaches) but in the last week of November, the pain has slowly started to return. I guess it can be called chronic at this point.

(I want to note additionally that I don’t get relief from nsaids or other self care suggestions other than applying heat/wheat packs.)

My follow up appointment is coming up and I want to be proactive in exploring what avenues I can as for why my TMD has been sudden and ongoing. I want to be able to advocate for myself so that even if I am offered only conservative treatment in my follow up that I am trying my best. I get the feeling that surgery is a last option for TMD and while I respect that view, my focus is that I want to manage my pain if I can't get rid of it. (I've grown to love my wheat pack but their has to be more I can do for myself.)

I want to discuss possibly getting tested for underlying conditions that can result in TMD. (And look at other types of specialists too, like a physiotherapist or an orthodontist but I think it would be best to wait after my follow up this month.) How can I constructively discuss this idea to my GP? I think I do have a fear of not being heard or understood properly, or seen as wasting their time. (I know I should feel valid in my concerns but I just feel this... self doubt.)

Anyway, thank you for reading my long post. I hope it made sense.