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This joint allows for the movement of the jaw up and down and side to side, thus allowing for certain functions like chewing, talking, yawning.
Therefore, any problem with this joint and the muscles associated with it is known as temporomandibular joint disorders.
Causes of TMJ disorders
The exact cause might still be debatable. However, problems with your jaw muscles, Injury to the jaw, the joint, or the muscles are possible causes. Stress, arthritis, grinding or clenching of the teeth are also likely to cause TMJ disorders.
Symptoms of TMJ disorder
- Severe pain and discomfort on one or both side of your face. This can be short-lived of may last over a long period.
- Difficulty in opening your mouth wide
- “Stucked” or “locked” jaw when you open or close your mouth
- Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when moving your mouth
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Swelling on the side of your face
Treatment of TMJ disorders
First of all, correct diagnosis is vital because not all supposedly TMJ disorders turn out to be as suspected. That it is why this should be provided by an experienced dentist. Not only do they have coherent knowledge and experience, but they also know your bite situation and are competent in the aspect of dental prosthetics.
We advocate a holistic approach to a temporomandibular joint problem.
In many cases, a panoramic X-ray image forms part of the assessment. If it is really an actual temporomandibular joint disorder, the dentist may initiate a three-dimensional temporomandibular joint scan via a digital volume tomography (DVT).
As a rule, an individual bite splint is then made for the patient. The setting data for this bite splint are created in different ways depending on the disease and the severity of the pain.
Other procedures used to address TMJ disorders include physiotherapy, cranio-sacral therapy, podo-neurological examination, lifestyle change and acupuncture.