The temporomandibular
joint (TMJ) is like a sliding hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal
bones of your skull. These bones are present in front of each ear. This helps
you in moving your jaw up and down, side to side that lets you speak, chew and
yawn. It is one of the most complex joint and is located at the base of the
skull.
If you experience a
constant pain in the area near your ear, jaw or face muscles that results in
restricted jaw movement, you might be having a TMJ disorder. This disorder
causes pain and dysfunction of the TMJ and the muscles surrounding it. This is
common among people lying between 20 to 40 years of age. Most of the disorders
get resolved themselves with some conservative remedies that can be recommended
by your dentist to be done at home. It is important to try some of the
reversible remedies first rather than going for the irreversible ones such as
surgery or bridgework.
Symptoms of Temporomandibular
disorder (TMD):
Temporomandibular disorder
causes a lot of discomfort and severe pain. This situation could be temporary
or may last for many years. Its symptoms include:
·
Pain
or tenderness in your jaw joint area, face, neck and shoulders when you speak
or chew
·
Pain
in and around your ear
·
Pain
in the temporomandibular joints
·
When
jaws get stuck or locked
·
Facial
pain or your face feels tired
·
Swelling
on the side muscles of your face
·
Trouble
in chewing as if the upper and lower jaws are not fitting together properly
Causes of Temporomandibular
disorder (TMD):
This disorder can be
caused due to orthopedic problems such as sore muscles, inflammation, strained
tendons and ligaments and disk problems. Other factors that influence it are
genes, age and gender (as women are more prone to have it). The major causes of
TMD are listed below:
·
Physical
injury
·
Dental
surgery
·
Arthritis
·
Autoimmune
diseases
·
Infections
·
Teeth
grinding while sleeping
It can also be caused due
to various other factors including genetic, hormonal and environmental. For
example: it is noticed that people who play violin suffer from this disorder at
a higher rate than the ordinary people as the instrument is held under the jaw.
Also women suffer from this at a higher rate than men due to some hormonal
causes.
Risk factors of Temporomandibular disorder (TMD):
There are various factors
that increase the risk of developing TMD such as:
·
Many
types of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
·
Certain
connected tissues diseases that affect the joint
Treatment of Temporomandibular
disorder (TMD):
With self-care and adopting some
changes in lifestyle
Most of the TMD cases can
be successfully treated at home. Reducing the movement of the jaw to give some
rest to the joint is recommended. This includes:
·
Eat
only soft foods
·
Avoid
chewing gums
·
Avoid
compressing or clenching the jaw
Some gentle exercises may
also be recommended by your doctor such as massaging the affected muscles
around the jaw. Applying ice or moist heat on the affected area can also help.
Surgery
In more intense cases,
where the jaw movement gets restricted or the patient experience severe pain,
surgery is the most effective treatment. The symptoms that are long lasting may
also require the joint to be replaced; however it is very rarely needed.
If you are suffering from TMJ
disorder, then visit Snellville Family Dental, a renowned dental office in
Snellville GA. They have one of the best TMJ treatment Snellville
teams that are adept to provide the treatment based on the patient’s condition.
Before the condition gets
worse, seek professional advice.