Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) refers to a variety of conditions that affect Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ) , jaw muscles and facial nerves. TMD may occur when the jaw twists during opening, closing or side-motion movements. Many suffer from TMJ pain or TMD.
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The TMJ is the point where the jawbone and the skull meet which is Immediately in front of the ear on each side of your head. The joints are flexible, allowing the Jaw to move smoothly up and down and side to side and enabling you to talk, chew, and yawn.Muscles attached to and surrounding the jaw joint control the position and movement of the jaw.
This complex joint that manipulates the jaw can be the source of problems such as clicking,Locking, or popping of the jaw. Some who experience jaw problems will also report headaches, Earaches, neck aches, and other facial pain associated with TMD.
If you are suffering from TMD and would like to get treated, our office has a number of conservative options for dealing with TMD. Contact Bharath Dental clinic today!
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Tempromandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw. These disorders are often incorrectly called TMJ disorders.
Dentists believe that symptoms arise from problems with the muscles of the jaw or with the parts of the joint itself. Injury to the jaw, Tempromandibular joint, or muscles of the head and neck – such as from a heavy blow or whiplash can cause TMD.
When there is malpositioning or distortion of this TMJ, it can result in inconsistent chewing, wrong breathing, and failed orthodontic treatments. This happens because the lower teeth and the upper teeth do not occlude like they should. There is a drift in the mandibular positioning and the body is forced to find a solution to the problem. As the positioning is altered the mandible articulates with the skull in a different way leading to a TMJ disorder or TMD. Many important nerves travel through this region that are constantly stimulated and are hyperactive for prolonged periods of time leading to headaches, neck aches, migraine, snoring etc.
Other possible causes include:
- Grinding or clenching the teeth, which puts a lot of pressure on the TMJ Dislocation of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket
- Presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ Stress, which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth
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TMD affects more than twice as many women as men and is the most common non-dental related chronic facial pain. Seen most commonly in people between the ages of 20 and 50.
People with TMD may experience these symptoms:
Common symptoms of TMD include:
- Head, Neck and shoulder pain.
- Ear pain, hearing loss, ringing in the ears.
- Tiredness and Swelling on the side of the face.
- Clenching and night grinding
- Jaw Pain Or Soreness When Chewing, Biting Or Yawning that is more prevalent in the morning or late afternoon
- Difficulty Opening And Closing The Mouth
- Difficulty chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite – as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly.
- Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth
- Limited ability to open the mouth
- Jaws get “stuck” or “lock” in the open or closed mouth position. Termed as Lock Jaw
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Generally, discomfort from jaw joint or muscle pain is occasional and temporary, often occurring in cycles. Jaw pain eventually goes away with little or no treatment. Some people, however, develop significant, long-term symptoms.
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Your dentist may also recommend one of the following:
- Modifying The Pain, Or Resting The Joint, Taking medication, Or Applying Moist Heat To The Painful Areas
- Practicing Relaxation Techniques, Which May Also Help To Manage Stress, A Common Cause Associated With TMD
- Wearing A Night Guard To Prevent Your Teeth From Grinding During Sleep
- Correcting Poorly Aligned Teeth, If Recommended By Your Dentist
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Diagnosis is the first and most important step before treatment. However, diagnosing TMD is not accurate because the exact causes of TMD are not clear, and there is no widely accepted, standard test to correctly identify TMD as of present. Because many other conditions can cause similar symptoms to TMD – including a toothache, sinus problems, arthritis, or gum disease Dr. Shabbir Ulla Khan will conduct a careful patient history and clinical examination to determine the cause of your symptoms For most patients, your description of symptoms, combined with a simple physical examination of face and jaw, provides useful information for diagnosing TMD.
Dr Khan will examine your TMJ for pain or tenderness; listen for clicking, popping, or grating sounds during jaw movement; look for limited motion or locking of the jaw while opening or closing the mouth; and examine bite and facial muscle function. Your dentist may also see how your bite fits together by taking x-rays and making a cast of your teeth, Sometimes panoramic X-rays will be taken. These full face X-rays allow your dentist to view the entire jaws, TMJ, and teeth to make sure other problems aren’t causing the TMD symptoms.Sometimes other imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a computer tomography (CT), are needed. The MRI views the soft tissue such as the TMJ disc to see if it is in the proper position as the jaw moves. A CT scan helps view the bony detail of the joint.
Dr. Shabbir may decide to Concern Doctors from other specialties for further care and treatment. This oral health care professional specializes in surgical procedures in and about the entire face, mouth, and jaw area. You may also be given additional self-care advice to assist with TMD-type symptoms.
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Treatment of these problems can be complicated. The cause can often be multi-factorial. Successful treatment may involve other professionals; Physiotherapy, Acupressure, Chiropractors, Massage Therapy, Cranio-mandibular specialists, and Physicians.
Meaningful treatment begins with proper diagnosis. We will do a thorough evaluation of your problem to determine the best way that we can help and the appropriate therapy.
We at BDC treat TMD successfully in two phases:
Phase I: Splint therapy: A TENS device is used to relax facial muscles; the actual position of the mandible is determined with a highly sophisticated tracking device; a lower splint is constructed to fill space between teeth.
Phase II: After about 5 to 6 months, the splint is removed and the space is permanently closed with orthodontic therapy.
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Although recovery time from TMJ pain can vary depending on its severity, using proper self-practice of conservative treatments suggested by your dentist can help decrease pain in a faster amount of time.
Keep in mind that for most people, TMJ discomfort will eventually go away whether treated or not. Maintaining simple self-care practices, such as reducing teeth-clenching symptoms caused by stress, can assist greatly in easing discomfort from TMD.
If more treatment is necessary, it should be conservative and reversible. If at all possible, avoid treatments that cause irreversible changes in the bite or jaw. Any irreversible treatments that are recommended should be backed by a second opinion from another dentist.
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If you would like to schedule a consultation to find out if you are suffering from TMD, call our offices 080-26540009 / 7676719103 or click here to schedule an appointment online
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