What is TMJD and what should you know about it?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMJ or TMJD) refers to pain and dysfunction of the muscles that move the jaw. The joints involved are the connection between the jawbone and the skull. TMJD may affect one or both of the joints. It is not life-threatening, but the pain and discomfort experienced can be significant.

The cause can be many different things. Amongst the most commonly listed causes are:
• Injury to the jaw, TM joint, or muscles of the head and neck. This might occur from trauma like a heavy blow or whiplash.
• grinding or clenching your teeth
• arthritis in the TM joint
• stress which can cause tightening of facial and jaw muscles or clenching of the teeth
• movement of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket of the joint

The three major symptoms are pain, limitation of movement of the joint, and clicking noises of the joint. There are various other symptoms that are less definite, but still problematic. The pain can vary from severe to mere slight discomfort; it can be temporary or last for years. TMJ is somewhat more common in women than men, and it’s more common between ages 20 – 40.

Various other symptoms that are less definite, but still problematic include:
• tired face
• trouble with chewing because it feels like upper and lower jaws don’t fit together
• swelling on side of face
• toothaches, headaches, dizziness, hearing issues, shoulder pain, ringing in the ear 

Diagnosis of TMJD may be difficult, and your dentist might use x-rays, MRI, or CT scans. A patient with TMJ disorder might initially report troubles that a dentist won’t visually notice. They may also report their symptoms to other medical professionals, so that their dentist often gets involved in treatment or diagnosis only later in the game. 

Treatment of TMJD is often done in consultation by dentists and other doctors. Depending on the specific diagnosis, many possible treatment options may be effective:
• oral surgery
• dental work or splints or bite guards may assist in improving alignment of teeth or preventing nighttime teeth grinding
• orthodontic work or adjustment
• NSAID (anti-inflammatory drugs) may be used to counter inflammation and or swelling and pain in addition to hot or cold packs
• patients may need to eat softer foods
• massage and physical therapy may help ease pain and stress

If you or somebody you know is suffering from symptoms related to TMJ, it’s best you speak with your dental professional about the issues.