TMJ Disorders (TMD)

It can be a combination of multiple reasons why an individual suffers from TMJ problem. Disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can be brought on by:

• Wear and tear of the inside of the TMJ / Jaw joint and surrounding structures.
• Infections, including those that cause referred pain in the jaw (such as TMJ infections and ear infections).
• Sleep-related tooth grinding or clenching that puts heavy strain on your joints.
• Incorrect bite or malocculusion.
• Injury to the head, neck, jaw, or temporomandibular joint, such as from a fall or a car accident etc.
• Tension in the jaw and teeth as a result of persistent stress.
• Genetics and environmental factors.
• Autoimmune disorders.
• Joint arthritis.

In its natural, pain-free state, a TMJ doesn’t make any noise and doesn’t restrict your range of motion or create any discomfort. You shouldn’t feel any pain or have any strange sensations while you’re chewing, eating, singing, gulping, talking, or even breathing.

The jaw muscles should be in sync, enabling you to open and close your mouth with minimal noise and maximum ease.

Something is wrong if you hear a steady stream of cracking, popping, and snapping as you go about your day. Jaw joint instability can manifest as clicking, popping, and pain. Internally, it feels like a battle between your muscles and teeth.

Tension in the jaw system develops when the teeth bite in one location while the muscles want the jaw to sit in some other spot for balance and comfort. It’s a battle between the toughness of the bite and the comfort of the jaw’s muscles and joints.

There are 3 possible outcomes of this battle

1. If your muscles are winning, they’ll send a message to your brain to shift where you clench and grind your teeth to a more comfortable location. This can cause teeth to wear out quickly.
2. When the teeth win the battle and signal the muscles to keep clenching to maintain support. Muscle strain and tension, along with potential increases in headache and TMJ symptoms, are the results. As a plus, you won’t experience any tooth wear.
3. There are no winners in war; instead, you should expect to suffer from a combination of tooth wear and jaw pain.

Many people have pain in the face due to headaches or injuries. However, infections, jaw and tooth issues, and nerve diseases can all contribute to facial pain.

Some facial pain is localised to one area of the face, while other times the pain is felt all over the head. When diagnosing face pain, doctors may use different classification systems, including:

• Dental pain
• Vascular pain, which is caused by issues with blood vessels and blood flow.
• Neuralgia, or nerve pain, is commonly associated with issues affecting the facial nerves.
• Temporomandibular pain, which is related to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the muscles of the jaw

Migraines and chronic headaches are a common problem. Many are not aware that a poor bite, or malocclusion, can lead to TMJ headaches and migraines.

In other words, headaches, migraines, forehead pain, and other symptoms that may be labelled a headache might result from a misalignment of the teeth and the resulting strain on the muscles and the brain.

There is a wide variety of triggers and treatments for headaches. When treating chronic pain, medical professionals frequently turn to medications. The use of Botox and other injectable muscle relaxants will be among these.

These treatments aim to merely “manage” pain rather than eliminate it. The same holds true for management by chiropractors, massage therapists, and other professionals. Pain is temporarily relieved with medicine and efforts are directed at relaxing the muscles of the head and neck. Although the first priority in case of chronic pain is to relieve pain, but the root cause has to be eliminated for the pain to stop permanently.

Medical treatment for headaches and migraines is possible, but orthodontic dental care is also needed for the pain to go away permanently. An orthodontist can do TMJ therapy and treatments to completely alleviate the pain.

Children aren’t the only ones who can get earaches; adults can get them too. Pain in the ears might affect either ear individually, or both ears at once. Sometimes it’s a dull ache, and other times it’s excruciatingly severe. Fevers, infections, and temporary or permanent hearing loss are all possible side effects of an earache.

Here are 8 potential causes of your ear pain:

1. Bone breaks, Three tiny inner ear bones are connected to transport vibrations that contribute to sound. Not only does breaking one of these bones cause pain or deafness, but it also throws off the sequence and transmission of sound.
2. Ear barotrauma is ear pain brought on by pressure changes.
3. Tear in the eardrum (perforated eardrum)
4. Foreign Objects
5. Ear Infection
6. Mastoiditis, middle ear infection
7. Swimmer’s ear, or Otitis Externa
8. Disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

If TMJ issues start to damage the nerves in the ear, they can cause hearing loss, hearing loss, tinnitus, and severe ear pain.

Assess Yourself

There are treatments available today if the discomfort you’re feeling gets worse when you speak, swallow, or eat. You have probably tried using moist heat or over the counter medications to treat your muscle pain. To relax the muscles, your specialised dentist can also use Laser and electric stimulation etc.

A precisely crafted dental orthotic splint can be created by your orthodontist to help correct a misaligned bite and reduce the stress brought on by teeth grinding and clenching. Your TMJ pain and earaches could get better together with specific relaxation techniques.

Although self-diagnosis is impossible, but there are several telltale signs you can keep an eye out for. The best course of action if any of these symptoms persists is to schedule an appointment with your orthodontist for a proper diagnosis and course of action.

For convenience to identify the telltale signs, you can use our TMJ Disorders self assessment tool.

TMJ disorders can cause a range of symptoms, including:

• Unexplained pain or tenderness in the ear, jaw or face
• Difficulty opening and closing the mouth
• Clicking or popping sounds when opening and closing the mouth
• Locked jaw or limited jaw mobility
• Chronic headaches or migraines
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Neck, shoulder, and back pain

To diagnose TMJ disorder, an orthodontist may assess various health conditions and conduct a physical examination. During the examination, the following steps may be taken:

1. Examining jaw range of motion: The orthodontist will observe the movement of your jaw when you open and close your mouth.
2. Feeling jaw movement: The orthodontist will assess the movement of your jaw by pressing on the surrounding area.
3. Identifying discomfort site: The orthodontist will determine the location of any discomfort by pressing the surrounding area of your jaw.
4. Asking questions: The orthodontist will ask questions about your teeth and jaw conditions to gain a better understanding of the problem.

If your orthodontist suspects a TMJ disorder, depending on the severity of your condition you may be required to undergo few of the additional tests, such as:

X-ray: An X-ray can help examine your teeth and jaw.

T-scan: A T-scan precisely evaluates not only the force, location, and time of a bite, but also the occlusion of the teeth.

CBCT Scan: A 3D X-ray that provides a clear picture of your teeth, jaw joints, and spine to diagnose your TMJ.

Electromyography (EMG): An EMG test identifies the activity of the muscles in your head and neck.

Joint Vibration Analysis: This test, also known as sonography, listens to the joints and provides insight into what is happening to the jaw joints.

K7 Jaw Tracking: This test tracks the path of your jaw as it moves, helping to identify the best muscle positioning.

By undergoing various combinations of these tests as decided by the specialist, a dentist or doctor can accurately diagnose TMJ disorder and recommend the most effective solutions to manage the condition.