TMJ Treatment

What is TMJ?

TMJ is an abbreviation for the Temporo Mandibular Joint. The temporal bone is a portion of the skull bone, the
mandible is the lower jaw bone and the TMJ is the joint that connects the two.

The Temporo Mandibular Joint is the most unique joint in the whole body, as it is actually two joints in one. The two joints- one on each side of the head, are connected by the jawbone and one joint may at times influence the function of the other. The two joints can differ in size, shape and function and it’s possible to have a problem in one joint that you actually feel in the other. You can also experience pain that starts on one side of your head and migrates to the other side because of the relationship of these joints one to the other.

A second unique factor is that your teeth actually dictate the TMJ’s function. That’s right. While your teeth are “passive” members of your upper and lower jaw, they have a very specific way they must fit together and interrelate in order to function properly. As far as the brain is concerned, your tooth position has priority over joint position and as such, your TM joint is forced by the muscles to move so that your teeth will fit together properly. Oftentimes when this happens, the muscles are put in compromising positions causing them to spasm, resulting in pain and discomfort. Many of the problems people find themselves experiencing are the result of such muscle spasms, however the cause is not an actual muscle problem. The muscles are simply caught between two positions: the tooth (priority) position and the jaw position. This “derangement” may be caused by genetic issues within in the
TMJ or acquired as the result of trauma.

The TMJ is one of the most complicated and sensitive joints in the body as well. There are many soft tissues surrounding this jaw joint, more than one third of all nerves that go the brain pass near this jaw joint and twenty-five per cent of the nerves in your entire body go to your mouth and jaws.

TMJ disorders involve the dysfunction or derangement of the joint and its associated muscles. Because many of the
symptoms of this disorder are not in the joint itself, the condition is more accurately referred to as TMD which stands for Temporo Mandibular Disorder. Signs and symptoms of TMD include but are not limited to the following:

Headaches

• Pain in muscles of the head, face, jaws and neck

• Pain in the jaw joint

• No comfortable place to hold or position the jaw

• Clicking, popping or grinding of the jaw joints

• Jaw locking or sticking open or closed

• Awareness of a change in one's bite

• Crookedness of one's smile/jaw

• Unexplained dizziness

• Unexplained pressure changes or pain in your ears

• Discomfort when chewing gum

• Ringing or other sounds in ears

• Ear pain

• Pain in sinus areas or behind eyes

• Neck, shoulder & back pain

• Pain in front of the ears

• Sensitive teeth (unspecific to any one tooth)

• Clenching or grinding teeth (day or night)

• Awakening with jaws clenched

• Feeling fatigued after a full night's sleep

• Feeling that your teeth don't meet properly

The majority of TMDs are caused by bite problems that result in muscle pain. This muscle pain is typically caused by hyper-contraction or spasm which is usually due to discrepancies in the way a person's teeth come together in relation to where their jaw joint wants to be. Some patients however, have pain or dysfunction that is caused by an internal derangement of the actual jaw joint. These are the patients that have the clicking, popping or grinding noises in their joints. These patients usually also have muscle related pain due to the bite discrepancies mentioned previously.

Unresolved TMDs typically lead to compromised function of soft tissues, muscles, tendons and ligaments often far away from the affected TMJ location. When these soft tissues are affected, blood circulation is reduced and the lack of nutrient in these tissues results in premature fatiguing. The build- up of waste products (like lactic acid) within these tissues results in the development of "trigger points" which can refer pain that will be felt in areas far removed from those trigger points. For instance, a person can feel severe head pain far removed from affected neck muscles and be misdiagnosed with "migraines". Premature fatiguing of these tissues also results in a person awakening after a night's sleep still fatigued, or "tiring out" early in a workday. And any stress being experienced will magnify these complaints.

Treatment of TMD includes a wide range of options depending on the underlying cause and severity of the problem. These treatments are typically applied in phases.

The elimination (or significant reduction) of pain by relieving muscle spasm and inflammation is always our initial goal. Alternative dietary habits, select medications, treatments, bite splints, physical therapy and life style changes may also be implemented for the resolution of symptoms. Correction of the underlying anatomical or physical cause of the patient's TMD (for example, altering the patient's bite with a splint to relieve pain then a permanent alteration of the patient's teeth to reproduce the bite created by the splint (thus eliminating the need for it) is also an option.

If you have recurring head, face, neck or jaw pain and have been unable to find help, OR if you have been told that "it's all in your head and you will just have to live with it", your jaw joints may not be functioning properly and we will be able to provide you with prompt relief.

Many of our patients have been extremely pleased with our approach to correcting TMJ problems and with the various therapies we utilize as part of our overall treatment. More specifically, those chronic pain sufferers who had been unsuccessfully treated by numerous doctors for years are now free of pain and recommending our TMD treatment to their friends and others with TMJ problems. This continues to be a most gratifying experience not only to those patients, but also to us at Family Dental Group.

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