Relief from jaw pain, clicking, and dysfunction. Comprehensive diagnosis and conservative treatment for temporomandibular disorders.
If you experience ongoing pain in the area near your ear, your jaw, or the muscles on the side of your face, possibly accompanied by a clicking or popping sound or restricted jaw movement, you may be suffering from TMD — an abbreviation for Temporomandibular disorders.
Sometimes people incorrectly use the term TMJ to refer to these problems, when in fact TMJ is the abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint — or jaw joint — itself. So while you definitely have a TMJ (two of them in fact), you may or may not have TMD.
TMD describes a group of conditions characterized by pain and dysfunction of the TMJ and/or the muscles surrounding it. It's not always easy to figure out exactly what's causing these symptoms, but the good news is that most TMD cases resolve themselves with the help of conservative remedies that you can try at home.
It's important to exhaust all reversible remedies before moving on to anything irreversible, such as bridgework or surgery.
The two TMJs that connect your lower jaw (the mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull on either side are actually very complex joints that allow movement in three dimensions. The lower jaw and temporal bone fit together as a ball and socket, with a cushioning disk in between. Large pairs of muscles in the cheeks and temples move the lower jaw.
Any of these parts — the disk, the muscles, or the joint itself — can become the source of a TMD problem. If you are in pain or are having difficulty opening or closing your jaw, a thorough examination can help pinpoint the problem area; then an appropriate remedy can be recommended.
As with any other joint, the TMJ can be subject to orthopedic problems including inflammation, sore muscles, strained tendons and ligaments, and disk problems. TMD is also influenced by:
Some people may be predisposed to TMD.
Women appear to be more prone to TMD.
TMD can occur at various life stages.
Physical and psychological stress can be a factor.
In some cases, jaw pain may be related to a more widespread, pain-inducing medical condition such as fibromyalgia ("fibro" – connective tissues; "myo" – muscle; "algia" – pain).
Some people with TMD hear a clicking, popping, or grating sound coming from the TMJ when opening or closing the mouth. This is usually caused by a shifting of the disk inside the joint. One-third of all people have jaw joints that click, studies show. However, if the clicking is accompanied by pain or limited jaw function — the jaw getting "stuck" in an open or closed position — this would indicate TMD.
This can be felt in the cheeks (masseter muscles) and temples (temporalis muscles), where the two big pairs of jaw-closing muscles are located. If you feel soreness and stiffness upon waking up in the morning, it's often related to habits such as clenching and/or grinding the teeth at night. A custom-made nightguard can be very helpful in decreasing the force applied to your teeth, allowing your muscles to relax.
Pain that's actually coming from one or both jaw joints technically would be described as arthritis of the TMJ. Radiographs (x-ray pictures) show that some people have arthritic-looking TMJs but no symptoms of pain or dysfunction; others have significant symptoms but their joints look normal on radiographs. There is no cure for arthritis anywhere in the body, but medication can sometimes help relieve arthritic symptoms.
Once you have been examined, a strategy for treating your condition and managing your pain can be developed. Conservative treatments include:
Severe TMD cases may require more complex forms of treatment, which might include orthodontics, dental restorations like bridgework, or minor procedures inside the joint such as cortisone injections or lavage (flushing) of the joint. It's rare for major surgery ever to be necessary in a case of TMD.
It's important to try the wide range of conservative, reversible treatments available, and give them enough time to work as they almost always prove effective. The first step is an examination at the dental office.
Don't suffer in silence. Schedule an examination to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms and develop an effective treatment plan.
