If you suffer from jaw pain, facial pain or migraine headaches, you just might have TMJ Disorder.
What is TMJ?
TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint. This joint connects the jaw bone to the skull and enables you to chew. TMJ disorder is a condition where the joint is inflamed, stressed, injured, or just not working correctly. TMJ disorder is also called TMD, but is often just referred to as “TMJ”.
Symptoms of TMJ
Some of the symptoms of TMJ disorder may seem unrelated. Common symptoms include:
- headaches
- toothaches
- neck pain
- worn or chipped teeth
- tense muscles in the jaw or face
- jaw pain, especially when chewing or opening your mouth widely
- strange sounds in your jaw, such as clicking, popping, or grinding
- locking of the jaw, where it gets stuck open
Causes of TMJ
Different factors can cause TMJ disorder. For example, the joint can be damaged from an impact or injury. The joint can be worn or damaged from arthritis. Teeth and jaw alignment problems can also lead to TMJ disorder.
However, one of the most common causes of TMJ disorder is clenching and grinding of teeth. Chronic clenching and grinding is often caused by stress. Such clenching or grinding can also lead to other problems, such worn teeth, worn enamel, and tooth and gum sensitivities.
Can a Dentist Help with TMJ?
Believe it or not, dentists are probably the best equipped medical providers to help deal with TMJ. Most people visit the dentist mainly for their teeth. But dentists also understand your entire mouth, as a system, probably more so than most doctors.
Although most dentists have a general understanding of TMJ, some dentists have more specialized training with TMJ disorder. These TMJ specialists treat more cases and have greater expertise in this area.
Treatment of TMJ
There are many possible ways to treat TMJ, but finding the best therapy depends on properly diagnosing the root cause.
Sometimes, TMJ disorder can be relieved simply through learning how to relax your jaw and facial muscles. Relaxation and stretching exercises can greatly help with this.
Many TMJ disorders are exacerbated with teeth grinding and clenching during sleep. A dental appliance, frequently called a “night guard”, can help prevent further damage and relieve pain. There are many types of “night guards” and different designs treat different conditions. The wrong night guard can provide zero relief, or worsen the TMJ symptoms.
A proper diagnosis combined with the correct dental appliance design can provide significant relief to TMJ symptoms.
On occasion, orthodontic treatment using braces may also help relieve TMJ symptoms, by correcting bite discrepancies and jaw misalignment issues.
In rare cases, TMJ disorder may require surgical intervention.
A qualified dentist trained in TMJ disorders specifically, can help diagnose the problem and find the best solution to relieve your pain.
FAQs
Can TMJ really cause neck pain?
Yes, secondary issues such as neck pain or earaches can definitely be caused by TMJ.
Will it eventually go away on its own?
Sometimes TMJ disorder is a temporary issue and can go away on its own. Other times, if the pain is not severe, you may have gotten used to the discomfort but the underlying problem is still there. In such cases the problem may get worse and further damage to your teeth can occur.
Any time you experience symptoms, it’s best to tell your dentist.
Will I need surgery?
Probably not. Surgery for TMJ disorder is pretty rare and a last resort for most patients.
Don’t Suffer Any Longer!
At Texas Sleep & TMJ Solutions, our practice is focused solely on dealing with Sleep Apnea and TMJ treatment. Some people have overlapping problems with both of these issues, but many only suffer one or the other.
Don’t suffer in pain any longer. Our TMJ experts can help.
Call for an appointment and get relief today!
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