If You Suffer From Any Of The Following You May Have TMD:
· Discomfort in the
jaws
·
Difficulty in
opening the jaws or difficulty with chewing
·
A tired feeling
in your face
·
Jaw joint locking
or clicking
·
Clenching or
grinding of teeth
·
Constant tooth
ache in absence of dental problem
·
Pain or tightness
in the muscles of neck, shoulders or head
·
Migraine and
frequent headaches
·
Experiencing pain
behind your eyes
· Experiencing blocked ears or ringing ears (tinnitus)
 |
TMD often causes severe pain and discomfort. It can be temporary or last many years. Most commonly appear off and on. It might affect one or both sides of your face, most commonly one side. TMD is more common in women than men, and it’s most common among people between the ages of 20 and 40 years.
Your temporomandibular joint is a
hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal bones of your skull, which are in
front of each ear. It lets you move your jaw up and down and side to side, so
you can talk, chew, laugh and yawn.
Problems with your jaw and the muscles
in your face that control it are known as temporomandibular disorders (TMD).
The symptoms of TMD can vary
drastically. The most common symptoms are muscle fatigue and soreness when
chewing, headaches, clicking and popping of the jaw, clenching and grinding of
the teeth, locking of the jaw, and even ear pain or ringing of the ears. It
sounds crazy.
The jaw can
affect so many parts of the head and neck. If these seemingly unrelated
problems have been frustrating you for a long period of time, it might be time
to see a TMJ specialist to see if your symptoms are related to your jaw
function. The symptoms of TMD involve so many organ that patient may confuse
and consult so many various specialist doctors like general practitioner, oral surgeon,
ENT surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, general physician, neurosurgeon, neurophysician,
ophthalmologist, physiotherapist, general surgeon and quack.(ભૂવો) (Yes, it’s fact.
Many times patient can’t describe his problem, what happened with him).
Treatment of TMD
need a holistic approach.
What Happened If You Ignore TMD?
·
Lockjaw and progressive limitation in jaw movement
When your jaw fails to function
properly, there’s a risk of the jaw locking or being unable to move in certain
ways. You should be able to speak, laugh, and yawn without your jaw stuck in
one spot.
·
Sore teeth and
gums
Improper joint alignment doesn’t just
affect the jaw. It may be placing more stress on your teeth and gums. This can
lead to toothaches, sensitive gums, and even gum recession over time.
·
Pain radiating to
other parts of the head and face
In addition to sore gums and teeth,
it’s common for the jaw pain to radiate into the other parts of your face and
head.
·
Headaches and
migraine
·
Earaches
·
Eye pain
·
Neck pain
·
Sore shoulders
·
Ringing in the
ears (tinnitus)
·
Vertigo
If left unattended, the negative effects of TMD will worsen over time and become more complicated to treat.
TMJ pain can be a huge limitation on your life. Many patients suffer for far too long because the symptoms are confusing–often vague and diffuse.
Studies show that 70% of the world population
has at least one symptom of TMD and 12% of the population suffers with severe TMD
symptoms everyday.
Causes Of TMD
There is no single cause of TMD, as it
is caused by a combination of factors.
·
Symptoms usually
are created by a lack of harmony between the patient’s bite, muscles, and/or
temporomandibular joint. For example, jaw misalignment, which is a consequence
of poor teeth alignment. This
misalignment makes the jaw muscles work extra hard to compensate for incorrect
positioning.
·
Stress, which can cause you to tighten facial and jaw
muscles or clench the teeth
·
Faulty dental
treatment – high dental filling, crown and bridge
·
Previous jaw
injury - if you’ve experienced a previous injury to the jaw, you’re more likely
to experience an issue with joint alignment.
·
Hormonal
fluctuation
·
Teeth grinding
(bruxism) - grinding your teeth places a lot of stress on your teeth and gums
as well as the jaw joint. The long-term repercussions of teeth grinding often
include a TMJ disorder.
·
Tears in the TMJ
capsule
·
Arthritis - the
long-term wear and tear on the jaw joint can cause arthritis, which can make TMJ
disorders more likely
·
Poor posture
·
Obstructive sleep
apnea
Treatment Of TMD
Treatment of TMD is liberating.
Treating TMD early is important for
overall well being. It can be distracting to have chronic pain…all the time.
The first step in treatment is
reviewing a patient with TMJ symptoms is simply getting detailed history. We
will ask you lot of questions related with present problem, your lifestyle,
work environment, prior trauma, personality type, dental history and medical
history. This discussion helps us to know any additional factors which could be
linked to exacerbating your symptoms.
The second step is physical
examination.
A comprehensive exam of the head and
neck , which includes muscles, joint mobility, how the teeth come together, the
position of the top and bottom jaw relative to one another, and contributing
factors like headaches, migraine, acidity, sleep disorder or ear pain.
Many other conditions cause similar
symptoms -- like tooth decay, sinus problems, arthritis, or gum disease, which
are ruled out in history and physical examination.
We may take full x-ray (OPG) to view
your jaws, temporomandibular joints, and teeth to rule out other problems. We
may suggest MRI to check the proper position of disc only in case of advanced TMD.
After examination a customized
treatment plan is created, which depends upon how much disharmony in TMJ, how
long have the symptoms been left untreated, etiological factors, severity of the
symptoms.
Some treatment options that may be a part of
your treatment plan may include the following.
·
Permissive
splints
The alignment of how the top and
bottom jaw come together can create tension on the muscles and joints of the
jaw. Permissive splint can allow repositions the jaw into a more stable
position to remove the relax muscle and to heal the joint.
·
Restorative
dentistry
Severely worn or broken teeth create
unbalanced force muscles and TMJ of the jaw. To balance the force, the teeth
can be restored with dental crowns, bridges, implants, or composite fillings
which reduce symptoms.
·
Occlusal
equilibration
The teeth are designed to fit together
in a particular balanced way. In many cases the teeth hit harder in some spots
than others. This uneven force creates instability. The muscles feel strained
by this instability. The occlusal
equilibrium includes selective grinding of occluding tooth surface.
·
Painkillars and
muscle relaxant medication to relax jaw muscles
·
Jaw exercises
·
Heat and ice
application according to condition
·
Ultrasound. Deep
heat applied to the joint can relieve soreness or improve mobility.
·
Trigger point
relief in painful muscle
·
Diet instructions
·
Avoid wide mouth
opening
·
Posture
correction
·
Physical self
regulation
·
Relaxation technique
in case of stress related TMD
·
Transcutaneous Electrical
Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
·
Acupuncture
·
Laser
·
Rarely, surgery
in advanced case of TMD like arthrocenthesis, arthroscopy
Unburden yourself from TMJ pain. I am TMJ
specialist in Jamnagar, Gujarat, help you every step of the way.
:Kindly Note:
There is no permanent cure for TMD’s. TMD
is like diabetes and hypertension. We can control it's symptoms, but can’t cure
completely.
You may need to follow instruction for
the rest of your life.
Due to so many causes of TMD’s, no
single therapy has been proved to be totally effective. Thus, based on your
symptoms, contributing factors and scans, an individualized treatment approach
will be recommended to you. However, the original treatment plan may need to be
revised on the bases of your symptoms response.
The key to success is being patient
and believing in the therapy.
Treatment can often take extended
periods of time and recovery is subjective to one’s healing ability and mental
make-up.
Our Commitment
“I was fortunate to recognize the rise in TMJ dysfunction very early in my career. I sought direct mentorship from the specialty of TMJ, Dr. Moez Khakiani, a leading TMJ specialist of India (mumbai). This unique background solidified my passion for TMJ treatment and catapulted my career as a TMJ specialist. For this, I am forever thankful.” Dr. Bharat Katarmal
