What is TMJ Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnoses & Treatment

Do you feel pain around the ear when chewing? Or do you hear a clicking or popping sound whenever you speak? You must be trying to figure out what’s wrong. Unfortunately, there is a chance that your temporomandibular joint is not okay.

The temporomandibular joint is a crucial joint that connects your lower jaw to the skull. If there’s an issue with your temporomandibular joint, you might find simple tasks such as chewing, speaking, yawning, etc., challenging. Then, you will have to visit our dentist in 77024 to check your jaw.

What is TMJ Disorder?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) plays a vital role in the human body. It is located close to the ears on each side of the skull and works like a sliding hinge. The TMJ links the lower jaw to the skull, enabling you to move your jaw from side to side, up and down. In other words, this joint enables you to yawn, talk, laugh, and chew.

If there’s an issue that affects the muscles controlling the jaw, it can lead to a severe condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). People mistakenly refer to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) as temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

What Are the Causes of TMD?

Temporomandibular disorder can arise because of several issues. However, the exact cause of TMD might not be known. The causes of TMD may include the following:

Intra-Articular Causes

• Internal Derangement – structural changes in the TMJ
• Hypermobility – the excessive movement of the TMJ, which causes the popping or clicking sounds when you close or open the mouth
• Inflammatory Conditions – these could happen because of trauma to the jaw or indirect trauma such as teeth grinding, jaw clenching, and heavy chewing
• Arthritis – rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis, or infectious arthritis that could affect your TMJ

Extra-Articular Causes

• Fractures – these can occur at the line of fusion of the halves of the jaw
• Muscle Spasms – which limit jaw movement

Symptoms of TMD

The symptoms may not last long for most people and may even go away without treatment. Others may experience the symptoms much longer, lasting from several months to several years. In this case, seeking TMJ treatment will be your best bet for alleviating the following symptoms associated with TMD:

• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Trouble chewing
• Pain around the ear when you speak, yawn or open your mouth
• A tired feeling on your face
• Uncomfortable bite
• Grating, popping sounds when you chew or open your mouth
• Jaws that get stuck in open or closed positions
• Swelling on the side of your jaw or face
• Pain or tenderness in your neck, jaw, face, neck, or shoulders

Sometimes, you might hear popping, grating, or clicking sounds without movement limitations or pain. If this is what you are experiencing, then there is no need to visit our TMJ dentist near you for treatment.

How is TMD Diagnosed?

During your visit, our dentist will discuss the symptoms you are experiencing and then examine your jaw. You can expect our dentist to:

• Observe your jaw’s range of motion
• Feel and listen to your jaw when you close and open your mouth
• Press on the areas around your jaw to single out the sites of discomfort or pain

If there is any cause of alarm, our dentist may recommend dental x-rays to check your teeth and jaw, a CT scan to provide detailed images of your bones around the joint, and an MRI to show problems with the surrounding soft tissue or joint’s disk. Our dentist may also opt to diagnose the disorder using TMJ arthroscopy to view the area.

How is TMD Treated?

If you are lucky, TMD symptoms may last just a few days and vanish without treatment. But if this isn’t the case, then our dentist may begin your care with:

Medical Treatment

Our dentist near you may prescribe the following medications to deal with TMD pain:

• Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs
• Muscle relaxants to ease the pain caused by muscle spasms
• Tricyclic antidepressants to control bruxism and relieve pain

Therapies

Our dentist may recommend the following therapies that will be used concurrently with medication:

• Oral splints and mouthguards
• Physical therapy

Surgery

If our dentist uses the above methods and they seem not to work, then the other alternative would be to undergo surgery. Some of the procedures our dentist may perform will include:

• Modified condylotomy
• Open joint surgery
• Injections
• Arthrocentesis

Visit a Dentist Near You

TMD pain can be debilitating. Contact us at Lynn Alan Palmer DDS to schedule an appointment for TMJ treatment in Houston, TX!