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Well as internal components of the joint, are collectively known as temporomandibular disorders
Your Temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal bones of your skull, which are in front of each ear. It lets you move your jaw up and down and side to side, so you can talk, chew, and yawn. Inside the jaw joint, there is a smooth material called cartilage, covering part of the bones. There is also a cartilage disc within the joint. The joint is lubricated by fluid called synovial fluid.
Problems with your jaw, the muscles in your face that control the joint, as well as internal components of the joint, are collectively known as temporomandibular disorders (TMD). But you may hear it wrongly called TMJ, after the joint.
It is believed that the symptoms arise from problems with the muscles of your jaw or with the parts of the joint itself. Injury or undue stress to your jaw, the joint, or the muscles of your head and neck can lead to TMD. Other causes include:
Common symptoms include:
You may also have toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
Many other conditions cause similar symptoms — like tooth decay, sinus problems, arthritis, or gum disease. To figure out what’s causing yours, the OMF Surgeon will ask about your health history and conduct a physical exam.
He’ll check your jaw joints; he’ll test your bite and check for problems with your facial muscles.
Full face X-rays may be needed to see both the jaws, temporomandibular joints and all teeth to rule out other problems. Some cases may need to do other tests, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computer tomography (CT).
Till you go to see the OMF Surgeon, there are some lifestyle changes you can do on your own to mitigate TMD symptoms.
If other treatments can’t help you, or in very severe cases surgery is required. There are three types of surgery for TMD. The type you need depends on the problem.
You’ll get general anesthesia, then the surgeon will open up the entire area around the joint so he can get a full view and better access.
Generally the outlook is good. Most TMJ disorders improve over time with appropriate treatment. It is very rare to get any complications with this condition. Some people do have symptoms that last longer or recur, but even these can usually be improved with the treatments described above. Most people do not need injections or surgery and will get better with simple treatments and time.
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