Wednesday, August 28, 2013

What Are Temporomandibular Joint Disorders?


Temporomandibular joint disorder is better known as TMJ syndrome. Many people suffer from this affliction that can cause serious pain. This can actually turn into a chronic condition and many people will be treated each year for it.

Inflammation takes place in the temporomandibular joint, that's located between the mandible and the skull; in fact it actually connects the two. Signs that you may be suffering from TMJ are pain in your ear, headaches, hearing loss, and even locking of the jaw.

There are many more symptoms that may lead a dentist to believe you are suffering from TMJ. They are pain behind the eyes, feelings of numbness in arms and fingers, pain in your neck, back, or shoulders, and even dizziness.

As you can tell TMJ doesn't just affect your teeth but your whole body. That's why so many people are suffering and seeking out help as soon as they can.

So what are some ways that you get TMJ? Some people will not even realize it but they are moving their jaws everyday in a same way, its called bruxing. Trauma, maybe a car accident or something like that. Excessive chewing of gum or even biting your nails can cause TMJ. Also the teeth maybe misaligned, which will affect the way your mouth closes, and perhaps lead to grinding and TMJ.

Dentist can treat TMJ though and help to relieve that pain. You may get fitted for a guard that will help to reduce the bruxing you may be doing. These will most likely need to be worn at all times of the day, but especially when sleeping. The dentist can also help to fix the misalignment of the teeth that may have caused TMJ in the first place. A very hard problem to deal with, but getting help is only a call away.

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