TMJ Help Program

It’s amazing how such a small part of our anatomy can bring on a world of pain. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the lower jaw to the head, depends on a network of bone, cartilage, muscles, ligaments and other anatomical necessities for the whole to operate smoothly – and without pain. The TMJ allows us to open and close our mouths, which in turn, translates to eating, speaking, yawning, singing, making facial expressions … many of the things we do with our mouths we don’t normally think much about. But when one or more of the TMJ’s components gets out of whack, that’s when things can get painful. Who Gets These Disorders? Although men do suffer from the symptoms, of the 5-to-15 percent of people in the United States who experience temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs), studies have shown that around 90 percent of those are female. Researchers have suggested magnesium deficiencies, hormonal fluctuations, even the way women process pain signals, among other reasons, as to why women tend to be far more prone to TMDs than men, but in truth, no one really yet knows for sure. Common Symptoms Pain and/or clicking or popping sounds when opening or closing the mouth are the most common complaints with TMDs. Pain or tenderness can be felt in or around the ear, neck, face, and in the joint itself and may be expressed as headaches, earaches, even shoulder aches. Because some symptoms don’t readily appear to be related to the joint in question, TMDs often go undiagnosed or inaccurately diagnosed with the problem never being adequately or properly treated. Other symptoms include popping or clicking noises when the mouth is opened or closed, and sometimes the jaws actually lock wherein the sufferer is unable to either open or close the mouth at all or with great difficulty. Treatment Fortunately, a range of treatments exist for TMDs with surgery employed only as a last resort. Learning how to change certain behaviors such as grinding the teeth (bruxism), clenching the jaw muscles and chewing on hard objects or food (pencils, ice, etc.) may be recommended. Additionally, massage and stretching exercises can be taught to help alleviate or eliminate the pain. Heat, cold (ice packs) and over-the-counter pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medications may also be prescribed. Bite plates and night guards can be made by your dentist to also help by aligning your bite and to prevent bruxism that occurs when you’re sleeping. Other treatments also exist, depending upon your dental professional. Who Treats TMJ Disorders? Not all dentists treat TMDs.

TMJ or TMD, short for temporomandibular joint disorder, is a condition which involves the jaw joint. It result in pain and discomfort as well as other symptoms. Its effect are not limited to the joint but can also extend to involve surrounding regions such as the head, shoulder, neck , back and even the arms. There are more people suffering from this condition than you think and they are all on the hunt for a cure to end their pain. Read the rest of this entry »

Pain in the jaw joint, known as TMJ, is caused by constant grinding of teeth due to a stressful lifestyle. Its symptoms are a great many but usually include; painful movement of the jaw, clicking sounds, headaches and/or migraines. Symptoms are usually the worst during night. This is because of a the unconscious acts of grinding teeth and jaw clenching that occur during sleep and may result in sleep disturbances. An example is Bruxism, which is the clenching of the jaws during sleep. This affects the muscles of the jaw by forcing them into a state of tension all through the night. The result is the symptoms of TMJ presenting later on. Read the rest of this entry »

The temporomandibular joint is the joint connecting your lower jaw to your skull bone and is responsible for its movement. Misalignment of the skull and the lower jaw results in a crooked bite.

There are various symptoms that can result from misalignment which make up a disorder affecting the joint known as TMJ or TMD. One of the most common complaints associated with TMJ is the dreaded headache or migraine. Read the rest of this entry »

There are various methods that can be used to treat TMJ. The following are a few of these methods.

- Make a conscious effort to avoid overstraining your jaw : avoid chewing on pens,etc.
- Better to stay away from hard foods
- Divide food into smaller pieces before eating
- Over the counter anti-inflammatory medications can be used to relieve pain, such as Ibuprofen
- Soothing music maybe helpful
- Reduce stress in your life
- Stretching exercises for the neck and shoulders
- Try to maintain a proper posture to keep your jaws well aligned
- Avoid spending extended periods of time at your PC.
- Avoiding stiffening your neck up
- Muscle relaxants can be taken in case of persistent pain
- Ask for prescription medications from your doctor, if OTC drugs aren’t sufficient.
- A mouth guard may be worn during sleep to avoid teeth grinding
- A dentist may give you a temporary splint to restore your jaw to its proper position
- Surgery should be kept as a last resort solution after all others fail
- Massage and heat treatment of your jaw muscles may prove beneficial
- Psychotherapy to reduce stress
- Low potency tranquilizers may be used
- Antidepressants may be used
- Herbal and nutritional supplements may be taken. Kava is an effective herbal supplement used for relief of anxiety, tension and insomnia. It increases the efficiency of your memory as well as your sociability. Depression associated with TMD can also be treated using herbal supplements such St.John’s Wort.

Exercises to relief TMJ

Exercises may be done while sitting upright in any chair.

- With your mouth and teeth closed, brush the tip of your tongue against your soft palate.
- Open your mouth slowly while still keeping the tongue in contact until it feels like you’re pulling your tongue away from against the palate.
- Maintain this position for about 5 seconds and then close your mouth once again.
- Stay in a relaxed position for 5 seconds and then repeat.
- These steps should be repeated for about 5 minutes.

Upon opening your mouth, you’re likely to feel that your jaw and chin muscles are tense. This exercise is best carried out facing a mirror so that you may check how your teeth are aligned.

Whatever treatment you may choose for your TMJ, make sure you do it correctly and regularly for the best results.

In order to properly treat TMJ, there are numerous symptoms of TMJ that you should be conscious of so you can get the correct treatment to relieve the aching caused by this condition.

Are you experiencing a rare soreness in the part of your ears? Are you suffering a throat ache that doesn’t act as if it will leave and is not linked to a bout with the flu or tenderness of the ducts? Are youshowing} speech irregularity that cannot be corrected by therapeutic instruction?

Actually, these manifestations may be originated by an ailment referred as temporomandibular joint disorder, or more popularly known as TMJ.

You may have ran into the term TMJ displayed on the treatment centers of dentists all over the capital, but don’t be guided to deem that TMJ is an ailment that concerns the teeth. In contrast, TMJ includes the temporomandibular joint, that part which connects the lower chin to the head. TMJ doesn’t pick out a particular problem, instead, it is a general term that covers various troubles of the temporomandibular joint.

If you are having any of the following indicators, it would be better to think about the probality that you have TMJ:

- Headaches. Given the nearness of the temporomandibular joint to the parts where headaches become apparent, headaches along with any of the other indicators mentioned below can inform on the presence of TMJ.

- Otalgia, also known as earache. Again, given the closeness of the temporomandibular joint to the ear, pains in the said part are to be anticipated if the joint suffers any troubles.

- Ostensibly permanent speech irregularity. Regardless our conscious targets, if we slur words we’re expected to speak out with clarity, and if such cannot be corrected by speech rehabilitation, it might be a strong sign of TMJ.

- Toothache. Toothache can be stimulated by a diversity of reasons, ranging from tooth decay, to the birth of a buried tooth, to gum dilemmas, to concrete damages. Still, when the toothache isn’t caused by any of the abovementioned probabilities, the TMJ is the most possibly reason.

- Tooth mobility, or worse, tooth loss. TMJ can apply extreme burden on the teeth, making them to easily be removed from their root.

TMJ isn’t a critical sickness. Nonetheless, if left ignored, it will only worsen and its indicators will become more terrible. Such can brutally change the existence of the patient.

There are many medications for TMJ, and none of them are invasive. Some medications may entail quite a bit of sufferings from the patient, but the prize will be a lifespan of freedom from this furtively inconvenient condition.