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What Are the Meanings, Symptoms, and Treatments of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders?

Table of Content

What is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?
Symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
What Causes These Temporomandibular Jaw Disorders?
Procedure for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Treatment
Surgery as Treatment Options for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

What is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?

Temporomandibular, is also pronounced as tem-puh-roh-man-DIH-byuh-luhr joint disorder and abbreviated as TMJD. It is a condition where the temporomandibular joint functions as a hinge attaching the bone of the jaw to the skull. These disorders cause a lot of pain and irritation, to the muscles controlling your jaw movement, hampering its primary functions. A study by ResearchGate on a few individuals aged between 18-24 years shows that some form of TMJ disorder was seen in around 45 per cent of the patients with TMJ problems.

The temporomandibular joint is found below the skull endings at the sides and is commonly referred to as, TMJ which helps in functions like chewing and talking.

Symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Since TMJ muscles assist in lateral and vertical movements of the jaw, it is one of the most complex connections within our body, and a defect in it causes pain and irritation, leading to different TMJ dysfunction syndrome. Let us look into some of the common symptoms of TMJ:

Persistent pain around the jaw
Restricted jaw movement
Swelling of gums and sides of the cheek
Jaw locks
Jaw stiffness
Ringing in your ears
Earaches
Migraine or headache
Bruxism
Bite misalignment
Popping, clicking sounds or grinding of teeth

What Causes These Temporomandibular Jaw Disorders?

While we do not exactly know the origin of these disorders, temporomandibular jaw disorders arise with a lot of discomfort and pain in the jaw and muscle structure. A few causes may arise from:

A severe blow to the jaw region, as a result of an accident
Arthritis due to age related or other problems
Dental surgery may sometimes take time to heal, and during that period, you tend to have TMJ problems
Teeth clenching and grinding, also known as Bruxism
Infections in the jaw and gum region
Autoimmune diseases

Procedure for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Treatment

If your Temporomandibular Join Dysfunction is mild, it is best to take preventive measures at home. Diligent self-care and undergoing healthy lifestyle modifications will help combat the mild symptoms of TMJ problems. Some easy measures to follow at home are:

Plenty of rest to the affected area
Do not chew hard foods in the affected area
Eat mostly soft foods
Avoid stress, that may lead to jaw clenching, tensing or teeth grinding
Apply cold packs from the cheek to subdue any discomfort
Flex your TMJ muscles, surrounding the joint, to relieve the pain or discomfort
Flex your TMJ muscles, surrounding the joint, to relieve the pain or discomfort
Practice good posture, and avoid resting your chin on your shoulders while speaking over the phone
Ensure not to use your teeth as tools to pry open or tear apart things.

For severe symptoms, it is best to visit your dentist with facilities to treat symptoms of TMJ syndrome. If the required facilities are not available, you can visit a specialized clinic, such as TMJ Sleep World, or consult a TMJ specialist in Dubai. These types of clinics provide the treatment meticulously, including steps like:

Severe heat is applied to the affect area, relieving your temporomandibular joint of soreness and increases mobility

This type of therapy to treat TMJ dysfunction syndrome uses low intensity electric stimulation to provide pain relief to the infected area of the joint and muscles.

Anesthaesia or pain-relieving medications are injected into the facial muscles

These are dental implants that are placed orally favouring an optimal jaw position, reducing the symptoms of grinding and misaligned bite position.

There are certain exercises in this type where you practice them regularly, to reduce the discomfort and pain

Surgery as Treatment Options for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Open-joint surgery is conducted when keyhole surgery is beyond reach, making a long incision to access your joint directly.
Arthroscopy is a tiny incision made in front of your ear and a small light tube with a camera is inserted in. Surgical instruments are placed inside the tube to reshape the bone and rectify the symptoms of TMJ syndrome
Another procedure to rectify the temporomandibular problems is Arthrocentesis where a needle is inserted to drain out the excess fluid from the joint.

Take Action Today

If you’re experiencing any symptoms of TMJ disorders, Please schedule an appointment today with our experts at TMJ Sleep World Clinic

Conclusion

TMJ affects almost everyone, but in a different way for each one. It may persist for a long time or go away within a week or two. There are no standard diagnoses as each case is different from the other. However, visiting a temporomandibular joint clinic like TMJ Sleep World for your temporomandibular joint dysfunction therapies is advisable as they conduct a thorough examination and recommend a way forward accordingly, to lead a peaceful lifestyle.

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