TMJ/TMD
Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic facial and neck pain as well as recurring headaches. In some cases, this pain is due to Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD.
Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your lower jawbone to your skull and are located just in front of your ears. These joints get a lot of use throughout the day as you speak, chew, swallow, and yawn. Pain in and around these joints can be unpleasant and may even restrict movement.
Symptoms of TMD include:
- Pain in the jaw area
- Pain, ringing, or stuffiness in the ears
- Frequent headaches or neck aches
- Clicking or popping sound when the jaw moves
- Swelling on the sides of the face
- Muscle spasms in the jaw area
- A change in the alignment of top and bottom teeth
- Locked jaw or limited opening of the mouth
Should you notice any of these symptoms, let us know! Your dentist can help diagnose the presence of TMD, and create an effective treatment just for you.
TMJ syndrome can be caused by direct trauma such as a blow to the face, especially the chin, or indirect trauma to the joint such as can occur in a whiplash type injury. Another cause is clenching and grinding of the teeth during the day or while sleeping. Not only can this damage the teeth, but the muscles can become so fatigued that they go into painful spasm. Clenching and grinding can also slowly damage the joints themselves.
The most common cause of TMJ syndrome, however, is bite disharmony. When your teeth do not mesh together correctly, your jaw muscles are constantly at work to help the lower jaw move into a position that will allow the teeth to fit evenly. This pulls the joint away from its comfortable position and fatigues the muscles. Some patients can adapt to this situation, but others cannot. Symptoms in the teeth, muscles, and/or joints are the result.
The first step in treating TMJ syndrome is a thorough diagnosis. We start by gathering all of the history and facts relating to the problem. Examination includes palpation of the joints and muscles and observing for range of motion of the lower jaw. We may listen to your joints with a stethoscope or order x-rays. We will examine your teeth and bite and make models of your teeth for further study. When all the evidence is put together a pretty clear picture usually emerges of your problem and the underlying causes.
Before any treatment begins we will discuss our findings and recommendations with you and make sure your questions are answered. In many cases the first treatment will be splint therapy. A plastic mouthpiece custom fit to your upper or lower teeth is designed to let your muscles relax and your joints to seat into a comfortable position. Other treatments are sometimes used alone or along with splint therapy. Symptoms often begin to disappear in a few hours, and most patients feel much better within a week.