TMJ Help Program

TMD is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms of TMD can mimic those of many other conditions. If you are suffering from jaw pain, you may have TMD.

Is your jaw giving you pain?

If so, you may have TMD. Tempomandibular jaw disease, or TMD, is a broad term for a collection of jaw conditions characterized by problems such as:

• Unexplained pain in the face, jaw or teeth
• Limitations in jaw movement

How is TMD diagnosed?

TMD is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms of TMD can mimic those of many other conditions. For example, facial pain can be a symptom of a sinus or ear infection, abscessed tooth, migraine or any type of nerve related facial condition. A dentist experienced in diagnosing and treating TMD, such as those at the Art of Smile Making, will perform a complete medical evaluation including a detailed medical history and physical examination of your face, head, neck and jaw areas before making a diagnosis and recommending a course of treatment for TMD.

What are the symptoms of TMD?

While symptoms of TMD vary, the most common symptoms include:

• Dull pain in the jaw joint or surrounding areas
• Problems using the jaw or inability to open the mouth comfortably
• Clicking, popping or grating sounds from the jaw joint
• Locking of the jaw upon opening the mouth
• A bite that feels uncomfortable, painful or misaligned
• Headache or migraine
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Swelling of the jaw or on the side of the face
• Dizziness
• Ringing in ears or hearing loss

How is TMD treated?

Treatment for TMD involves relaxation of the jaw muscles and restoration of the jaw joint back to its unstrained position. This can involve the utilization of plastic appliances or other adjustment of the teeth to correct any misalignments of the bite.

If TMD has been present a long time or if the patient is suffering severe trauma, more involved medical or dental procedures may be required. Because untreated TMD may result in increasing discomfort or arthritis of the jaw joint, early detection is the goal.

Who suffers from TMD?

It is estimated that over 10 million people in the United States currently suffer from TMD. Significantly, while both men and women experience TMD, approximately 90 percent of the patients seeking treatment for TMD are women in their childbearing years. Research indicates that women seek treatment for TMD at a higher rate than men and that women are more likely than men to report ongoing pain associated with TMD. Also, research performed by the NIDCR has documented a correlation between hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptive therapy with pain treatment. This may explain why more women tend to suffer symptoms and seek help for TMD pain.

If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of TMD, please don’t suffer any longer and contact the Art of Smile Making in Portland, Oregon area for help.

TMJ or temporomandibular joint is located right in front of the ears, right on the spot where the lower jaw and upper jaw meet. Open your mouth and feel the ball and socket joints in front of your ears. Close your mouth. The bones that are moving there are your temporomandibular joints. You see, these joints are used several times in a day. You use it when you eat, speak, yawn, and bite. Indeed, it is one of the most used joints in your body. The TMJ is a very complex joint. It is composed of a complicated array of muscles, bones, and tendons.

TMJ disorders or problems of these joints do occur. When that happens, stiffness, ear pain, headaches, clicking sounds, bite problems, and locked jaws can be expected. In worse cases, arthritis may also occur. TMJ can cause arthritis if not treated right away. The most usual underlying conditions of TMJ disorders are teeth grinding problems, habitual fingernail biting, too much gum chewing, dental problems, teeth misalignment, jaw trauma, and stress. It is very important that these conditions are addressed right away so that they won’t evolve into arthritis.

TMJ disorders have a set of symptoms. You know you have it if you experience recurring headaches. You would also feel facial pains from time to time. The pain may start on the joints and spread over the head and the face. It could get worse as you open and close your jaw. The contraction of the jaws is painful, more so if you’re exposed to the cold weather or relatively cold surroundings.

Patients of TMJ disorders would also experience ear pain. Half of the people with TMJ will have ear pain without any signs of infection. The pain is usually associated to the joints and it can be felt somewhere below or in front of the ears. If there were no ear drainage or hearing loss associated with the ear pain you’re feeling, then TMJ is the most likely culprit.

TMJ patients can expect to hear clicking, crunching, grinding, or popping sounds when they open and close their mouth. Pain may accompany these sounds too. Dizziness is also likely. People suffering from TMJ may experience balance problems and vague dizziness from time to time.

Tinnitus and fullness of the ear may also occur to people with TMJ disorders. Their ears may feel clogged or muffled. This feeling is compounded during airplane landings and takeoffs. Ear fullness is associated with the dysfunction of the Eustachian tube. Because of the hyperactive muscles in that part on people with TMJ, this symptom becomes almost natural. On the other hand, patients with tinnitus due to TMJ would experience relief from their condition once the joint disorder is resolved.

We all know that we need to brush and floss every day. Proper brushing removes food debris and bacteria from the teeth. Improper brushing can be abrasive and destructive, causing problems like: receding gums, wearing away of the tooth root, sensitive teeth or weaker teeth. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re brushing destructively, and brushing habits can be hard to break. To avoid destructive tooth brushing these are some factors to keep in mind.

Choose a soft toothbrush. A soft toothbrush also makes it much easier to remove the plaque below the gumline, where periodontal disease starts. You can make the bristles even softer by running hot water over them before use.

Use a pea-sized amount of non-abrasive toothpaste with fluoride. Toothpastes that are labeled “whitening” or “tartar control” can sometimes be too rough on receding gums and exposed roots, wearing away the root’s protective layer. You can be sure a toothpaste is non-abrasive if it’s labeled “sensitive.”

Use proper brushing technique. Angle the bristles of the brush along the gumline at a 45-degree angle and apply just enough pressure so the bristles slide under the gumline. Vibrate the brush while you move it in short back-and-forth strokes and in small circular motions.

Don’t brush too hard. If you’re not sure whether you’re pressing too hard, hold the end of the brush with two fingers. That will give you enough force to get the job done without doing damage. You can also check your brush bristles. If they are bent over or broken, you’ve probably been pressing too hard. If you find that you have a hard time brushing gently, consider using an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes make it much easier to use less pressure.

Tooth abrasion is caused mainly from improper brushing but can also be caused by grinding your teeth, using your teeth as a cutting tool or chewing on hard objects. Tooth abrasion can occur gradually over a period of time or very quickly. Gradual tooth abrasion allows the body to reduce the severity of tooth abrasion as the body has sufficient time to repair itself. Quick tooth abrasion can cause irreversible damage to the pulp and lead to the consequences of tooth abrasion which not only include crooked teeth but also increase tooth sensitivity, infection and ultimately loss of the tooth.

Talk to your dentist about any of your concerns on brushing or other causes of tooth abrasion. Let them show you what you need to know to keep your mouth healthy and bacteria-free without damaging your teeth.

There is a relatively new area of dentistry that deals with the whole mouth in a more holistic approach. It’s called neuromuscular dentistry. The word holistic is not a mystical new age shamanism, but simply means that the mouth and all its moving parts are taken into consideration when evaluating mouth pain; it is taken as a whole. Neuromuscular dentistry is primarily concerned with treating a common disorder of the jaw joint known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMD.

What is TMD?

It is a misaligned jaw joint. The jaw joint is in front of each ear. It’s where the lower jaw (mandible) meets the temporal bone of the skull. Inflammation and pain associated with this joint occur with regularity. A neuromuscular dentist diagnoses and treats TMD.

When people talk about things that are discussed a lot or about conditions and situations that involve words that are hard to pronounce, they usually use initials as a stand-in for the real words. This is especially common when it comes to talking about diseases or medical conditions. One example of this is when people talk about the temporomandibular joint. Rather than saying the whole word every time they talk about it, they usually just say “TMJ.”

What is TMJ? What problems does a person face when they suffer from TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint is a ball and socket joint. It is located on both sides of your face and it is responsible for moving your jaw. Whenever you open or close your mouth (or move your lower jaw in a side-to-side), you are using the TMJ. Both parts of the joint (the ball and the socket) are cartilage-covered and are separated by a small sized disk. This disk is there to absorb a small amount of the shock that comes from using your TMJ and it helps with the joint’s free form movement.

Usually the TMJ will work without you having to worry much about it. Every once in a while, however, some people encounter severe problems when the joint fails to work correctly. Between five and fifteen percent of the population has problems with their TMJ at least once in his or her life. While a lot of the problems that most people experience aren’t severe, there are some people who have to deal with extreme problems when the TMJ fails to work correctly.

One of the most prolific problems with the temporomandibular joint is a clicking sound. While this isn’t considered severe or even classified as a real disorder it happens because the termporomandibular joint isn’t working correctly. Other intense problems that happen with TMJ are jaws that are not aligned correctly or an overly worked joint that has been worn down because its owner has been grinding his or her teeth or has a habit of chewing on pens or pencils. Problems with the TMJ can also cause uneven bites. Uneven bites can induce intense headaches or jaw aches with pain that radiates up into the ear area. These problems make eating incredibly uncomfortable and your jaw might hurt even when it is still.

If you are having problems with your TMJ, your dentist or physician can probably help you treat your problems. Often your dentist will refer you to an orthodontist because many of the problems associated with TMJ result from teeth that don’t line up correctly or inappropriate biting or clenching habits. While some problems are small and can be dealt with simply and matter of factly, other problems are more severe and will require extended dental and medical treatments.

Right now, hypnosis is used to treat a lot of behavioral problems. And during the recent years, experts are taking advantage of its use for bruxism. Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding. Teeth grinding is that annoying sound people unknowingly make while asleep. Bruxism can be caused by a lot of factors. Research show that bruxism could develop due to the physical defects of the jaws and teeth. However, stress is also a big factor why people grind their teeth at night. And it is also on this cause where hypnosis is most effective at. Practitioners say that hypnosis is the best solution to bruxism caused by jaw tension. While a night guard may do a good job in preventing denture damages, it cannot reduce the pain in the head and the neck that are also caused by teeth grinding.

Bruxism patients are required to attend a 30-minute hypnosis session to correct the problem. The therapy could be just one session or more, depending upon the patient’s mental stature. Inside the session, the subconscious of the patient are be taught to feel the sensation created when the upper and lower teeth touches each other. And the moment that happens, the mind is instructed to relax the jaw muscles and create a comfortable space between the teeth. For people who find going to a therapist a little too much on their budget, they could opt for a bruxism hypnosis CD instead.

The CD is best used before sleeping so it is easier to achieve a state of total relaxation. Some people report that using a hypnosis CD is as effective as the one conducted personally by a hypnotherapist. On the average, patients who subjected themselves to hypnosis session for bruxism claim that they experience relief two to three nights after the therapy session.

Luckier patients go through immediate relief. This means that right at the night of the therapy session, they don’t grind their teeth any longer. However, it is important to note that hypnosis, just like other treatment methods, is a healing process. Patients should not be too impatient on the results of the therapy. It could take some time to work, especially on people whose minds are not too accommodative to these types of treatment procedures. If you want to try hypnosis as a permanent solution to bruxism, talk to a hypnotic expert whose proficiency lies on the treatment of bruxism. Local therapists who had gained reputation in the practice are your best choices.

The popularity of chiropractors continues to grow daily as more people begin to realize the importance to total body health. Along with a good diet and exercise, Chiropractic care plays an instrumental role in maintaining good health by keeping the spine and nervous system operating like a well oiled machine.

Consequently, chiropractors can help relieve the intense pain associated with TMJ or Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction.

Most people never think about it, but the ability to speak, chew and swallow or even yawn is a result of the jaw acting as a hinge to connect the mandible with the skull.

TMJ can be a very serious problem and can be caused by such things as teeth grinding, habitual gum chewing, dental problems, stress, injury, or arthritis. TMJ results when the jaw joint becomes displaced or the surrounding muscles or tendons are irritated. The results are pain and tenderness of the jaw muscle, inability to open the jaw, chew or talk, headaches, dizziness, and/or muffled hearing.

A chiropractor can help with treating TMJ in two ways:

• Providing Chiropractic adjustments to the neck and/or jaw
• Recommending special exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes to help speed healing and prevent a relapse.

Chiropractors work to solve problems caused from TMJ by implementing a detailed study of the spine, followed by individual treatment once they have made a diagnosis. Treatment usually includes adjusting the neck or jaw. Chiropractors are very successful treating TMJ. Relief can be immediate or may happen over time.

Chiropractors are concerned with not only treating patients until their pain dissipates, but also assuring their problems are permanently eliminated.

What are some of the philosophical elements associated with chiropractic care? Among them:

1. Naturalism
2. Rationalism
3. Holism

Chiropractic care focuses on the total human body, in the belief that is inter-related with both the environment and individuals’ lifestyles.

Chiropractors can recommend certain muscle spasm relieving exercises that help relax jaw muscles and provide relaxation. Meditation and massage are some of the other methodologies adopted by the chiropractor to treat patients.

In many cases, chiropractic care is proven to be more effective than drugs and medicines. Not only is it more effective, it helps patients through care that is gentler, cheaper, and does not include the potential for negative results later.

Most people suffering from pain believe medication will provide quick relief for their problems. This is sometimes true, but medications only provide temporary relief of pain and do nothing to eliminate its causes. Medications may also result in harmful side-effects.

Surgery is another option for TMJ. But surgery can be costly, demand time away from work and other activities during recovery, and can be dangerous.

Perhaps you are wondering how to stop bruxism permanently. Or maybe you are wondering if you are suffering from bruxism.

The problem here is that people who are suffering from bruxism may not know that they are a victim because it usually occurs at night while they are sleeping. Unless they have room mates sleeping in the same room, it may take some time before they find out about their condition.

Perhaps, you may want to look out for the following symptoms. If you are suffering from most of the symptoms described below, it is quite likely that you are grinding your teeth at night.

1) You always have unexplained headaches in the morning 2) Your teeth is sensitive to hot and cold food 3) You always wake up at night for no apparent reason 4) You have some chips on your teeth and you don’t know why 5) Your jaws feel very tight and painful, especially in the morning

If you are suffering from these symptoms, it may be time for you to seek treatment. Depending on the causes of your bruxism, the right treatment can stop your bruxism permanently.

The common causes of bruxism includes stress, dental problems and side effects caused by drugs. The respective treatments are stress reduction therapy, surgery to fix your dental problem and the change of drugs.

In these treatment doesn’t help you to stop your bruxism, a dentist may give you a bruxism mouth guard that you have to wear in your mouth. While this is not a permanent solution to stop bruxism, it can at least prevent you from damaging your teeth in the short run.

Are you trying to find out how to stop bruxism? Is there really a cure for bruxism that can treat bruxism permanently?

Well, it depends on what are the causes of your teeth grinding. Depending on the causes, the treatment meted out will be different.

Here are some common causes and treatment of bruxism:

1) Stress

It is said that stress is the number one cause of bruxism. In this situation, the most obvious cure is to work on your stress level. There are many things that you can do to reduce stress.

Exercises like yoga and taiji are very effective in relieving stress. You may even try to relax before you sleep by listening to some relaxing music. If your conditon is caused by stress, this approach can be very effective in stopping bruxism.

2) Drugs

Certain drugs may cause bruxism as a side effect. Consult your doctors and dentists and find out what is the actual problem. If the drugs are causing you to grind your teeth at night, sometimes, all that is necessary is for your doctor to change the drug that you are consuming.

3) Defect in your teeth structure

Sometimes, dental problems can also cause bruxism. A possible treatment may be to perform surgery to correct your teeth structure. You will want to consult your dentist about it.

What happens if the methods described above doesn’t stop bruxism. In such a situation, you dentist may give you a night guard for you to wear inside your mouth. However, this is not a permanent solution as you are still grinding your teeth. The only difference is that now, you are damaging the mouth guard instead of your own teeth.

While bruxism is not a very serious disease, you should try to stop bruxism as soon as possible it as it can lead to very serious, long term damage to your teeth if you don’t start doing something about it now.

Do you think you have TMJ and are looking for a dentist or therapist to help with TMJ relief?

First let’s discuss some of the symptoms so that you are clear about what to watch for and take care of -

TMJ Symptoms:

Your jaw hurts especially when talking, yawning or chewing

You can’t open your mouth wide. It may get so bad you can’t open more than two inches.

You also feel pain in your neck, shoulders or ears. Teeth Grinding Jaw Clicking

Does that sound like you?

It is the muscles that control your jaws that are the problem. One set of muscles pulls in one direction to open your mouth and another set of muscle pull in another way to close your mouth. If your muscles are stressed in certain ways, tired or overworked, they won’t open or close your jaw properly.

So what to do about it? You could see someone such as a dentist or a physical therapist and they can assist you. Or read on and I will give you another suggestion.

Some things that may be suggested:

A dentist may tell you that you need a mouthguard to realign your jaw. You can try one of those, but the problem I see with it, is when you stop, your jaw will sometimes pull back to where it was, because the most common cause of the problem is muscle pull. That is not taken care of with a mouthguard

You may be told to consciously relax your shoulders, face and jaw muscles to ease TMJ symptoms.

Sleep on your back or side, as sleeping face down pushes your face to the side, causing pressure on the jaw.

Surgery may be suggested. Be sure to try looking at other means to correct your problem first.

Some diet tips:

Eliminate Caffeine, or seriously cut back on it. Those who drink caffeine tend to clench their jaw more.

Don’t chew large pieces of hard or brittle food.

Eat plenty of vegetables, especially dark green vegetables. They contain Calcium and Magnesium, which help build healthy muscles, ligaments and tendons. Most of us don’t eat enough vegetables and get our minimum requirement of minerals in daily, so this is good advice for the whole family.

Even if you cannot chew well, you can get in your vegetables. Buy a juicer and make a glass of vegetable juice to drink each day. Apple, carrot, celery and some dark leafy green vegetables taste pretty good together.

If you are not used to real vegetable juices, it may taste “strong”. You may find that you need to dilute your vegetable juice up to half water. Left over juice can be stored in the fridge, tightly capped and drunk with in 24 hours, and will still do some good. It is however best to consume it each time fresh.

You may want to eat soft foods for a few days. If you TMJ is particularly bad, you could make vegetable soup with a variety of vegetables and a small amount of meat and get by for a few days to rest your jaw, as this will rest your jaw from vigorous chewing.

Can the situation be serious? Yes it can. The temporomandibular joint can become inflamed and swollen. If it gets bad enough it may lock your jaw open or shut. The muscles and ligaments around this joint could lose their elasticity and balance with other muscles, leading to your lower jaw pulling in, which will cause a receding jaw.