TemporoMandibular Joint (TMJ) disorder starts near the jaw, radiating pain outward and disguising its origin.
Your temporomandibular joint is the hinge between your jaw and skull. It’s supposed to let your jaw move up, down, in, out, left and right. But when it can’t do its job—for any number of reasons—pain migrates upward to the head and downward to the neck and shoulders. Your first clue to what’s ailing you might be the pops and clicks your jaw joints make when you eat or yawn. Other hints are chronic headaches, difficulty chewing certain foods, ringing or popping in your ears, a sore jaw, unexplained pain in your head or neck, trouble turning your head from side to side.
When teeth don’t line up properly, the extra muscular stress causes muscle and jaw pain. Left unattended, parts of the jaw joint will start to collapse and degrade, producing more inflammatory—sharper and more focused—pain. Other possible causes of TMJ Disorder are damaged jawbone/joint structure, poor head/shoulder posture, the ball of the jaw pinching nerves, nightly teeth grinding (bruxism), and arthritis in the joint.
Some 10 million people suffer from some form of TMJ. Modern dentistry has as many treatments for TMJ as there are causes. If tooth alignment is the cause, orthodontia may be the cure. The rest may respond to physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and stress management.
A custom-fitted mouth guard can prevent grinding your teeth in your sleep. There’s even a battery-operated alarm that senses when you’re grinding and wakes you up to stop. Another device applies moist heat to the source of the pain for several minutes at a time.
The key to treatment is identifying the cause. Once we’ve done that, we can find the remedy that works best for you.
