TMJ syndrome seems to be on the rise. Some people get TMJ by accidents or arthritic issues, but there are a lot of non-dental reasons why it is caused.
TMJ, or tembromandibular joint, is when the joint that connects the mandible (the moving part of our head) to the skull (the non moving part) is inflamed or worn down. It's a ball and socket joint that has a piece of cartilage in between for smooth opening movements.
Symptoms include headache, muscle spasms, non specific jaw pain that usually radiates, inability to open wide, tiredness of the face and unexplained tooth wear and filling breakage, to name a few. TMJ pain seems to affect more women than men, although both are affected.
One of the major causes for TMJ is grinding and clenching. Stress produces excess energy which needs an outlet.
This excess energy usually is dissipated via grinding, at night, or clenching during the day. Each produces extreme pressure on the muscles and the TMJ joint, ultimately resulting in the damage of the joint.
To treat it stress needs to be reduced by either eliminating the stress or dealing with it more effectively. This includes exercise, biofeedback programs or just something as simple as deep breathing or taking an afternoon off from work.
Teeth can be protected with pieces worn at night to keep them from rubbing on each other. Other common causes for TMJ are fingernail biting, excessive gum chewing, ice crushing, etc.
Obviously these activities not only put pressure on the TMJ joint, but also place the joint into odd positions when force is applied. TMJ can also be caused by an uneven bite where all the teeth aren't bearing the same load.
All teeth need to have as even a force load on them as possible. Finally accidents and arthritic problems can cause TMJ.
In cases like these, surgery is sometimes required to eliminate and alleviate the functional problems associated with these anomalies, as well as the accompanying painful symptoms. Accidents can cause the TMJ capsule either to completely be pulled out of the ball and socket area or have adhesions form between the head and the capsular area, making it very difficult to move the mandible in any direction.
In the case of arthritis the actual head or ball joint may need to be replaced in whole and substituted with a prosthetic joint. Although surgeries are an option, many patients find that the relief isn't much better.
Be sure to thoroughly discuss treatment options and recovery likelihood with your dentist.
Author Resource:-
Jack R. Landry is a former dental assistant and has authored hundreds of articles relating to oral health and dentist in Victorville, CA. He has been a guest dental lecturer for over 15 years.
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