TM Disorders (TMD)

TM Disorders stand for Temporomandibular Joint disorders and problems. It represents any disorder that affects the temporomandibular joints.

TMJ or Temporomandibular joints are the small joints that are located in front of the ears; they attach the lower jaw to the skull. They are very complex joints and the area where these joints are located is an extremely complicated network of bones, including the teeth, muscles and nerves.

The nerves and muscles attached to TMJ control and guide your jaw during movement like opening and closing your mouth, chewing, speaking, swallowing etc…When the teeth, facial muscles and TMJ are out of alignment muscles can become tense, sore and spastic which can contribute to a significant amount of pain and tension, which leads to TMD.

TMD is a chronic degenerative disease that often takes years to develop.

The Cause:

1. Trauma, an injury directly or indirectly to the TMJ or to the head or neck. An example is a whiplash injury sustained during a car accident
2. Teeth grinding (Bruxism)
3. Bad or irregular bite (malocclusion) that include under bite and protrusion
4. Missing teeth
5. Diseases affecting the TM joint like osteoarhitis, rheumatoid arthritis etc…
6. Misalignment of the upper and lower jaw
7. Emotional stress beyond daily life stress like depression and anxiety disorders
8. Posture/Work habits like working at a computer all day, cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder for a long time, carrying a heavy shoulder bag

The Problem:

1. Frequent headaches / migraines
2. Earache and/or ringing in the ears, a sense of fullness in one or both ears (ear congestion)
3. Pain and soreness in the jaw joint, muscle facial pain especially when you wake up in the morning
4. Jaw locking while opening or closing your mouth, limited or inability to open the mouth comfortably
5. Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint
6. Abnormal feeling of the bite like some teeth not touching when you bite
7. Sensitive and sore teeth, loose teeth
8. Neck and shoulder pain
9. Dizziness
10. Numbness in your fingers and arms
    
    

The Solution

Since some types of TMD can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important. It is very important to know that no one treatment can resolve TM disorders and problems completely, and to accept the fact that treatment takes time to be effective.

Dental & Medical Evaluation:

This is the first step that your dentist takes to evaluate your TM problems and pinpoint the causes of such problems. This evaluation consists of:

1. Dental and Medical History
2. Physical exam of your muscles and jaw joints
3. X-rays, if required
4. Dental Casts: are models of your teeth that help your dentist to determine how the TM problems that you are suffering have affected your teeth and bite. These models are mounted on a mechanical device called the Jaw-Movement-Stimulator, which helps the dentist to reproduce the movement of your jaws.

After that your dentist will determine a treatment program that best suits your individual condition. This program may contain one or more treatments depending on each individual case. It may involve, self-care, occlusal splint (like the night guard used to prevent teeth grinding at night), bite adjustment and the use of crowns or orthodontic treatment in more difficult cases.

What happens if you don't treat TMD?

We cannot say for sure what will happen if TMD is left untreated but its is a progressive disease and for many patients it gets worse. That means the symptoms get worse including pain. The best solution is prevention through:

1. Adjustment of your bite (bite engineering)
2. In more difficult cases using restorations like crowns
3. Using orthodontic treatment to align the bite