Masticatory Disorders

Subjects

Temporomandibular Disorders
TMJ and Ortho

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw. These disorders are often incorrectly called TMJ, which stands for temporomandibular joint.

What Is the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull, which is immediately in front of the ear on each side of your head. The joints are flexible, allowing the jaw to move smoothly up and down and side to side and enabling you to talk, chew, and yawn. Muscles attached to and surrounding the jaw joint control the position and movement of the jaw.

What Are the Symptoms of TMD?

People with TMD can experience severe pain and discomfort that can be temporary or last for many years. More women than men experience TMD and TMD is seen most commonly in people between the ages of 20 and 40.

Common symptoms of TMD include:

Pain or tenderness in the face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when
you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
Limited ability to open the mouth very wide
Jaws that get "stuck" or "lock" in the open- or closed-mouth position
Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth (which may
or may not be accompanied by pain) or chewing
A tired feeling in the face
Difficulty chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite – as if the upper and lower teeth are not
fitting together properly
Swelling on the side of the face
May occur on one or both sides of the face

Other common symptoms of TMD include toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitis).

What Causes TMD?

The cause of TMD is not clear, but dentists believe that symptoms arise from problems with the muscles of the jaw or with the parts of the joint itself.

Injury to the jaw, temporomandibular joint, or muscles of the head and neck – such as from a heavy blow or whiplash – can cause TMD. Other possible causes include:

Grinding or clenching the teeth, which puts a lot of pressure on the TMJ
Dislocation of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket
Presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ
Stress, which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth

When to see a doctor

Seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can't open or close your jaw completely. Your doctor, your dentist or a TMJ specialist can discuss possible causes and treatments of your problem.

SUJETS

TMJ and Ortho

Thousand suffer from chronic facial pain and headaches. Most of the time, these patients are not aware that they suffer from temporomandibular disorders, also known as jaw pain.

Your TMJ is the joint connecting the lower jaw to the skull. These two bones are held together and function via a complex group of muscles, ligaments,

nerves, blood vessels and other soft tissues such as the jaw joint disc.

As you may imagine, these joints are used quite a lot during a single day. The jaw joint disc will ensure that comfortable, quiet jaw movement is possible, and will act as a cushion against heavy forces generated by the muscles of mastication.

When there is an imbalance between the jaws, muscles and bite, the muscles can go into spasm or the joint can start to degenerate. These changes are responsible for the discomfort most people are experiencing with TMD.

An improper bite is one of the leading causes of jaw pain and/or facial discomfort. It will direct your muscles and jaw joints into an un-natural position. One side of the jaw joint will be compressed and the other will be stretched. The strain on your muscles, ligaments and articulating disc will accumulate and finally reach a point where inflammation will occur. The inflammation results in pain, stiffness, and swelling and reduces range of movement of your jaws. If left untreated, these symptoms can evolve into irreversible damage such as clicking, popping, pain and lockjaw.

How can TMD be treated?

In order to determine if an improper relationship exists between the upper and lower jaws, it is necessary to relax the muscles so that a precise bite evaluation can be done.

Traditionally, a bite plate will be suggested. A biteplate is a clear piece of thin plastic that is custom-made to fit over your upper or lower

teeth. The biteplate will reproduce an ideal bite providing support for your teeth, jaws while relaxing your muscles. Several appointments might be needed to adjust your biteplate. As the inflammation wears down, your bite will change returning slowly to its natural position.

With some patients, wearing this type of biteplate at night is the only type of treatment needed. However, some patients with very poor bite will

experience the same symptoms as soon as the biteplate is not worn during the day. Daily activities such as chewing and talking re-introduce the stress in the jaw joint that was initially responsible for the temporomandibular symptoms. For those patients, an orthodontic treatment may be suggested to correct their bites and provide them with ideal interaction between the jaw joints, muscles and teeth.