The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, connects the jawbone to the skull. It works like a sliding hinge that facilitates flexibility. But sometimes, the joint and its surrounding ligaments and muscles may not work correctly. When that happens, it is diagnosed as a TMJ disorder. These disorders can lead to several symptoms, including severe pain in the jaw. Here’s some handy information about the common signs, causes, and treatments for TMJ disorders.
Causes of TMJ disorders
The exact cause of TMJ dysfunction is not known. However, it has been observed that trauma or an injury to the jaw or the joint can trigger it. The condition can occur due to the following reasons:
- Jaw injury from a broken or dislocated jaw
- Teeth grinding or clenching (also known as bruxism)
- Arthritis in the jaw joint
- Malocclusion or problems with teeth alignment
- Excessive stress
- Genetic and hormonal factors
The risk of TMJ disorders increases with certain habits that include the following:
- Using the teeth as tools for tearing off clothing tags
- Maintaining a bad posture that can strain the neck, shoulder, and facial muscles
- Chewing on hard surfaces, such as pens, pencils, or other things
- Excessively chewing ice or gum
- Chewing big bites of food that overwork one’s jaw muscles
- Sleeping on the stomach for extended periods
- Violinists who have to hold the instrument under the jaw
Common signs and symptoms
One of the most notable symptoms of TMJ disorders is extreme pain and discomfort on one or both sides of the face. In most cases, the pain lasts for many years, but some might have temporary pain. Other common symptoms and signs of TMJ disorders include the following.
- Pain and tenderness around the face, jaws, neck, shoulders, and in or around the ear that intensifies while chewing and talking
- Difficulty trying to open the mouth wide
- Frequent feeling of the jaws getting stuck or locked in the open- or closed-mouth positions
- Clicking, popping, or grating sounds while opening or closing the mouth to chew, which might be painful
- Constant feeling of tiredness around the facial area
- Difficulty chewing
- A sudden, uncomfortable bite that feels like the upper and lower teeth are not aligned
- Swelling on one side of the face
Other symptoms include toothaches, headaches, pain in the neck, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears. Individuals who experience these symptoms should visit a healthcare expert to determine the cause. The doctor may recommend a dental X-ray or CT scan to diagnose the condition.
Common TMJ treatments
There are several treatments for TMJ disorders, including non-surgical and surgical options:
Non-surgical options
The non-surgical options for the disorder include:
- Mouth guards
Dental accessories, such as oral splints and mouth guards, are placed inside the jaw to move it into a normal position and prevent and reduce grinding and clenching. - Physical therapy
Under the supervision of a dentist, the patient performs exercises that stretch the jaw and strengthen the muscles around the jaw joints.
Besides the above, a health professional may use procedure called TPI to administer treatments into painful muscle knots in the jaw. This makes it easier to chew, talk, and move the jaw.
Surgical options
The surgical options for the disorder include:
- Arthrocentesis
It is done to remove fluid from the jaw joint and alleviate TMJ disorder symptoms. - TMJ arthroscopy
A small incision is made in front of the ear to insert a thin tube with a camera. Then instruments are inserted into the tube to reshape the bone or re-position the disks in the jaw joint. - Open-joint surgery
Here, doctors make a long incision to access the jaw and make surgical corrections.
The dentist or orthodontist may recommend a suitable TMJ treatment depending on the patient’s age, health history, and overall fitness level. One should not use any treatments without consulting the expert as it can lead to side-effects that can be hard to manage.
