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Does it hurt when you chew, open wide to yawn or talk? Do you have pain or soreness in front of the ear, in the jaw muscle, cheek, teeth or temples? Does your jaw ever get stuck or locked as you open it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, which is a group of conditions, often painful, that affect the jaw joint. It is a term used to describe a group of symptoms including headaches, facial pain, jaw pain, sore, chipped, broken, or worn teeth, clicking or popping in the jaw, and limited jaw movement. In many cases, people that suffer from TMD report chronic pain in the jaw, teeth, face, head, neck, shoulders, or back - or any combination of these areas. Snoring, grinding of teeth, frequent ear infections and a restricted airway are other problems associated with TMD and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: What You Should Know The temporomandibular joints are the points at which the lower jaw attaches to the skull, and are among the most complex joints in the human anatomy. If your jaw clicks or pops, this could be a sign of TMJ disorder. Joint sound is one of the most recognized signs of TMJ disorders. Between five and ten percent of Americans suffer from TMJ symptoms that require some form of treatment. The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that more than 10 million Americans suffer from TMD and predicts that as much as 65 to 85 percent will experience some type of TMD symptom in their lifetime. TMJ symptoms include: * Clicking and/or difficulty when opening and closing your mouth
* Frequent headaches
* Neck and/or shoulder pain
* Sensitive teeth when no dental problems can be found
* Jaw pain or stiff jaw when chewing, biting, eating or yawning
* Earaches without an infection Stress and TMD: Alleviate Stress to Lessen Pain During stressful periods, when TMD symptoms appear, it is often advised to avoid chewing gum and selecting softer foods to decrease the use of the jaw muscles. If you are feeling stressed, place your tongue between your teeth, or at the top of your mouth, in order to keep your teeth apart. People who experience head and neck trauma during a car accident need to see their dentist to have their jaw checked for TMD symptoms. Stress is the predominant factor in TMD symptoms. Unless your jaw or face hits the windshield, the steering wheel or another object, there is no physical correlation between TMD and whiplash. As stress lessens, so will your pain. Temporomandibular joint disorder describes a variety of conditions that affect jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and nerves associated with chronic facial pain. Symptoms may occur on one or both sides of the face, head or jaw, and may develop after an injury. When people have a lot of responsibility, stress may manifest with TMD symptoms without realizing it. Over short periods of time, the habit is not detrimental, but prolonged grinding or clenching may cause soreness of the jaw. Find where your stress is coming from, reduce and even eliminate it. It will save your teeth from wear and stop headaches. TMD Treatment Options While there is no single cure for TMD, there are different treatments you can follow that may reduce your symptoms dramatically. Your Chico dentist may recommend one or more of the following:
* Trying to eliminate muscle spasm and pain by applying moist heat or taking medications.
* Reducing the harmful effects of clenching and grinding by wearing an appliance sometimes called a bite plate or splint.
* Learning relaxation techniques to help control muscle tension in the jaw.
* When the jaw joints are affected and other treatments have been unsuccessful, jaw joint surgery may be recommended. Once temporomandibular joint disorders are properly diagnosed appropriate treatment can be provided. Talk to your dentist in Chico today for further diagnosis and for more information on temporomandibular joint disorders and how they affect your bite.
Dr. Fred Hanosh, dentist in Chico, has over 35 years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ-head and neck disorders. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of head, neck and facial pain, as well as Chico orthodontics for misaligned teeth and jaws.
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