TMJ and TMD
What is TMJ / TMD?
Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJDs) refer to a complex and poorly understood set of conditions that can cause pain in the area of the jaw joint and associated muscles and/or problems using the jaw. Both or just one of the TM joints may be affected. TMDs can affect a person's ability to speak, eat, chew swallow,make facial expressions and even breathe.
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| What is TMJ? |
Who Suffers From TMJ
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that over 10 Million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems at any given time. Both men and women experience TMJ problems, however, 90% of those seeking treatment are women in their childbearing years.
Recent research indicates that more women seek medical care for a TMJ problem than men, and women are more likely than men to report ongoing pain. Physiological differences in pain signal processing may explain why more women suffer from TMJ conditions than men.
What is TMJ
"TMJ" stands for TemporoMandibular Joint, or the jaw joint. There are two TMJs, one in the front of each ear, connecting the lower jaw bone (the mandible) to the skull. The joints allow movement up and down, side to side, and forward and back-all the mobility necessary for biting, chewing and swallowing food, for speaking and making facial expressions.
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Because of the vast issues associated that are co-related with TMJ, some of which are directly caused by a TMJ disorder, physicians for decades have called TMJ disorders "The Great Imposter" because so many of the symptoms they were chasing originated from TMJ disorders |
| TMJ - The Great Imposter |
What Causes TMJ
Not all causes are known for TMD. Some possible causes or contributing factors are injuries in the jaw area, various forms of Arthritis, dental procedures, genetics, hormones, low-level infectins, aut0-immune diseases, stretching of the jaw as occurs with inserting a breathing tube before surgery, and clenching or grinding of the teeth.
How Can TMJ Disorders Be Treated
Once the TMJ Disorder is diagnosed, TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre of Conejo Valley will prescribe a custom designed program for the individual patient. This may include day and night appliances, Acupuncture, Chiropractor, Naturopathic, Oriental Medicine procedures, Nutritional guidance and Orthodontics.
Symptoms
Pain is the most common symptom. TMJ pain is often described as a dull aching pain in the jaw point and nearby areas, including the ear, which comes and goes. Some people, however, report no pain, but still have problems using their jaws. Other symptoms can include:
- Being unable to open the mouth comfortably
- Clinking to popping or grating sounds in the jaw joint
- Locking of the jaw when attempting to open the mouth
- Headaches
- A Bite that feels uncomfortable or "off"
- Neck, Shoulder and back pain
- Swelling on the side of the face
Additional symptoms may include ringing of the ears, ear pain, decreased hearing, dizziness and vision problems.
Facial Pain
When a patient's bite is not properly aligned, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunctions and a number of related symptoms can arise. One of these symptoms is facial pain.
The jaw area of the face is a complex network of bones, joints, muscles, and nerves. When the jaw becomes unaligned, the surrounding bones, muscles, and nerves are also affected. This includes the muscles of the face, which experience strain or spasm because the muscles are working extra hard to compensate for the unstable bite.
Clicking or Popping in Jaw Joints
Clicking, popping, or snapping in the jaw joint is the most common symptom of TMJ. There may or may not be pain in the jaw when the clicking or popping sound is heard. The clicking sound may even be so loud that others can hear it when you chew or speak.
Usually the cause of the popping jaw is a displaced disc in the jaw. The jaw joints are ball and socket joints, just like the shoulder joint. When ball and socket joints are functioning properly, the ball and socket do not touch because of a thin disc of cartilage located between the ball and socket. This disc of cartilage is held in place and guided by a muscle.
If your bite is not right or trauma tears the tissues the jaw joint is pulled out of alignment, and the disc is typically pulled forward or torn. Now that the cartilage disc is not serving as a cushion between the ball and socket these bones are rubbing against each other and pressing on nerves, causing pain in the jaw and clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint. The muscles holding the disc in place are now strained as well, causing additional pain in the jaw and face as well as in the head, neck, back and shoulders.
Anxiety and Depression
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Jaw Pain
Because TMJ is a dysfunction of the jaw joint, jaw pain is a very common symptom. A "bad bite" in which your upper and lower teeth do not come together in proper alignment also disrupts the placement of the jaw and the surrounding muscles. This imbalance in the bite-jaw-muscle relationship is what causes the pain in the jaw. Pressure and forces on the teeth can cause bone to dissolve or extra bony projections to be built up.
Limited Jaw Movement or Locking Jaw
Limited jaw movement or locking jaw may feel like the lower jaw is catching when the jaw is opened. In some cases a person with a locked jaw must move the jaw to one side or the other in order to open the mouth wide. A person might also have to open the mouth until a popping sound is heard and felt, at which point the jaw unlocks.
Limited jaw movement or locking jaw is often a result of a "bad bite." When the bite is not aligned correctly it causes problems in the jaw joint, the TMJ (temporomandibular joint). The unaligned bite can result in locking jaw, clicking or popping in the jaw, and headaches.
Numbness or Tingling in Hands / Arms
The nerves and muscles in the jaw area of the face are very complex, so when your bite is off, these nerves and muscles are also affected. A misaligned bite can cause the muscles throughout the jaw, face, neck and shoulders to go into spasm. When these muscles (scalenes) are in spasm they can pinch the nerves (brachial plexis) leading down the arms and into the hands, which in turn results in feelings of numbness or tingling.
Sensitive and Sore Teeth
Sensitive or sore teeth are common symptoms of TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder). If the teeth are the cause of TMJ then any or all of the teeth may be sore. The teeth may also become sensitive because of clenching or grinding the teeth, a common action in many people, when the disc of the TMJ is displaced. Click here for more information on the displaced TMJ disc.
Unfortunately, when seeking relief from this tooth pain many patients are misdiagnosed and may even go as far as having the nerve from the tooth removed with root canals or even having the tooth extracted. The worst part is that these measures may not relieve the pain, and can actually make it worse!
Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)
Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, is another symptom of TMJ that is commonly misdiagnosed and often goes untreated or is treated ineffectively. In many cases ringing in the ears is one of the results of having a strained bite in which the jaw is not aligned. The jaw area of the face is a complex network of muscles and nerves, and when the bite is misaligned muscles and nerves throughout the head, including the ears, can be affected.