When is tmj bad enough for surgery? my jaw locks up multiple times a day and i cannot open it without it popping ever.

TMJ surgery: TMJ surgery is last resort when all other less invasive treatment options have been exhausted. You should be evaluated by at least one if not two dentists with extensive training and expertise treating patients with TMJ/TMD. They are generally few & far between but worth the trip. If no one local, consider a local teaching university with a dental residency program or dental school.

Try an orthosis: Many, if not most, people with your symptoms can be helped without surgery. Often, the looseness in the joint structures is caused by jaw position and a bite in which there is not enough room for the disc to rest where it belongs. Popping is the disc back into & out of position. When disc is displaced, it keeps jaw from opening or closing as it should. Try a bite appliance first, surgery last