By Molson Park Dental

07/17/2017 The joints that connect your lower jaw to the bones of your head need to remain flexible and move up and down or side to side in order for you to be able to talk, chew and yawn. Some people experience disorders of these joints and chewing muscles. Temporomandibular joint disorder popularly abbreviated as TMD or TMJ is a condition that results when your jaw moves out of alignment. As a result, your jaw joints cannot function as they should causing pain and discomfort.


Symptoms Of TMJ Disorder
Some individuals experience mild whereas others have severe symptoms of TMJ disorder. The symptoms to look out for include:

• Jaw problems: TMJ disorders can manifest in the form of unusual sounds in the jaws such as popping, clicking or grinding. You may also notice some jaw stiffness.
  
• If you notice ringing in the ears or experience difficulty hearing, it could be due to the TMJ disorder.
  
• This disorder can also cause severe headaches or migraines.
  
• In severe cases, TMJ can cause neck and shoulder pain.
  

You may be experience the above set of symptoms with or without having TMJ. It is important to visit your dentist immediately to rule out any serious conditions like TMJ disorder.


What Causes TMJ
There is still no identified cause of TMJ disorder. This is why it�s one of the dental problems that is very hard to diagnose. However, there are certain factors that are believed to cause TMD. They include:

• Abnormal functioning of the jaws that results in fatigue. Habits like clenching or grinding teeth can cause TMJ disorder.
  
• Accidents or injuries that result in trauma to the jaws or other muscles in the head and neck.
  
• Misalignment of the jaw that causes different bite problems such as crossbite, overbite and underbite.
  
• Underlying conditions such as arthritis
  
• Individuals who have sleep apnea experience certain nighttime movements that put them at an increased risk of TMJ disorder.
  

How TMJ Is Treated
When you approach your dentist for treatment, the main goal would be to relieve symptoms such as pain and keep your jaw properly aligned. The most suitable treatment option will depend on your unique situation. The dentist may perform physical exams as well as design a custom oral appliance that will help to restore jaw function. In some cases, TMJ can only be treated by changing the shape of your teeth.


Invasalign can also be used to treat TMJ disorder since it is a restoration procedure that helps to improve alignment. Other cosmetic procedures such as botox treatments can also be recommended depending on the patient's situation. The final course of treatment will depend on what you are comfortable with together with expert advice from a professional team.
If you also suffer from missing teeth, you may want to consider restoring jaw support with dental treatments such as implants and bridges. It's only in rare cases that surgery will be required to treat TMJ disorder.


For more information please visit http://www.chapnickdental.com/tmd-tmj-treatment/