TMJ-TMD
Temporomandibular Disorder
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic facial and neck pain as well as severe, recurring headaches. In some cases, this pain is due to Temporomandibular Disorder, also known as TMD.
Your temporomandibular joints, or TMJs, connect your lower jawbone to your skull. 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
- Muscle spasms in the jaw area
- A change in the alignment of top and bottom teeth
- Locked jaw or limited opening of the mouth
If you notice that you are experiencing any of these symptoms, let your doctor know at your next appointment. Your doctor can help determine if you have TMD and create a customized treatment plan to help relieve your symptoms.
Not all jaw pain is associated with TMD.
If you feel that you might have TMD, it is always important to see your TMD Doctor and receive an exam. However, not all jaw pain is associated with TMD, and if you do not have TMD there are many different preventive steps you can take to maintain a healthy, strong smile.
- Relax your face — "Lips together, teeth apart"
- Avoid grinding your teeth
- Avoid all gum chewing
- Don't cradle the phone receiver between your head and shoulder — either use a headset or hold the receiver to your ear
- Chew food evenly on both sides of your mouth
- Do not sit with your chin rested on your hand
- Practice good posture — keep your head up, back straight, and shoulders squared
Many experience TMD from multiple causes: trauma, clenching or grinding their teeth, stress, unrepaired or previously broken down dental work, oral habits, obstructive nasal breathing, and many more. Symptoms usually wax and wane; patients sometimes feel better or worse depending on causality but the condition will not resolve on its own. More often TMJ dysfunction progressively worsens, can effect the positions of the teeth and jaws, click and pop when eating or chewing, have difficulty opening wide, experience inability to close the teeth together or open the teeth apart (open-lock or closed-lock), experience pain, sensitivity around the ears, sides of the head, back of the neck as well as referred pain to the top of the head. Some report "fatigue" of the jaw when eating or talking, a wide range of pain or discomfort from mild, intermittent to severe and frequent. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above and are concerned that you're a candidate for TMD treatment, please contact our office for a consultation.