Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders affect the muscles that move your jaw and the joints which connect the jaw to the skull. While not life-threatening, they can become chronic or get more severe if you fail to treat them.
Three Main Types of TMJ Disorders
- Myofascial pain causes pain in the jaw muscles.
- Joint derangement disorders occur when the joint is damaged or dislocated.
- Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage connecting the jaw bones is wearing out.
There is no walk of life that fully isolates you from the possibility of having a TMJ disorder. The sources of these conditions include:
Teeth Grinding
Grinding your teeth can cause jaw strain, putting unnecessary stress on the temporomandibular joint. Too much of this pressure over time can cause the ball of the joint to become unstable in its socket.
Dental Problems
If you have dentures or fillings, put in that don’t fit right, it can affect your bite and eventually cause the joint to misalign.
Physical Trauma
Impact damage can lead to TMJ disorders even if you appear to have healed from the hit externally. Athletes who participate in high-impact sports like hockey need to protect their temporomandibular joints.
Bad Posture
Standing with bad posture can cause misalignments of the spine and muscles at several points in your body, including your jaw.
Getting Older
Wear and tears over the years can lead to TMJ disorders. Habits like smoking or chewing gum will exacerbate them, as will stress.
The Main Symptoms TMJ Disorders
Because the jaw impacts so many parts of your body, the symptoms may be difficult to ascribe to TMJ disorders. These include:
- Noises coming from the joint, including clicking and grinding
- Jaw pain
- Headaches around the eyes or temples
- Earaches or tinnitus
- Disorientation, dizziness, double vision
- Jaw realigning with the skull
Depending on the severity of these symptoms, many of them can be treated with self-care, using these methods:
- Eating soft foods
- Avoiding wide mouth motions like yawning
- Cutting out gum chewing
- Over-the-counter pain medication
- Hot and cold compresses
If symptoms persist, a visit to the orthodontist may be in order.
Orthodontic Treatments for TMJ Disorders
These are just some of the possible solutions. These disorders are specific to each patient, which your orthodontist must evaluate.
Mouthguards or Splints
This custom-made equipment can realign your jaw. It’s made to fit your mouth and is removable.
Invisalign or Braces
Another solution which may be more appropriate to your specific disorder.
Surgical Options
Sometimes this is the best solution. There are three main procedures:
- Arthroscopy requires a small incision made near the problem area where a small camera is entered to see so the disorder can be corrected.
- Arthrocentesis is a less invasive method whereby the joint is flushed with a solution that reduces jaw inflammation.
- Open-Joint Surgery is a more extensive procedure to fix or replace the joint.
Choose a quality orthodontist and move forward with the best solution.
Overcome TMJ Disorders with Edge Orthodontics!
Let Edge Orthodontics help you overcome any TMJ disorder! At our locations in Cold Lake, Camrose and Lloydminster, we have the means and expertise to fix your jaw. Contact us to schedule a consultation today!