You need the muscles and joints in your jaw. Without joints and muscles, you wouldn’t be able to chew, swallow, talk, or yawn. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the flexible joint in your jaw that acts as a hinge whenever you open your mouth.
Although temporomandibular disorder is painful and uncomfortable, our dentists at Paramount Dentistry offer TMD/TMJ therapy to ease the pain and restore the function of your jaw joint.
Symptoms of TMD
The common symptoms of TMD range from mildly sensitive to severely painful. Make an appointment with one of our dentists if you experience any combination of symptoms:
- Headaches, toothaches, earaches, neck aches
- Swelling around jaw
- Limited ability to open mouth
- Tenderness in face, jaw, neck
- Difficulty chewing
- Clicking, popping, grating sounds when opening mouth
- Dizziness
- Ringing in ears
- Hearing problems
- Tired facial muscles
Causes of TMD
Although the proven cause of TMD remains unclear, there are a number of conditions that may factor into it:
- Teeth clenching/grinding
- Jaw dislocation
- Injury to jaw, muscles in head/neck
- Rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis in jaw
- Stress
Jaw muscle and joint problems are complex-diagnosis that may take time and multiple visits to a dental office. Whether you have TMD or not, it’s important to seek medical attention in order to reverse damage and restore function.
If you experience any of the symptoms of TMD, don’t delay proper treatment. Oftentimes, waiting to be treated will further damage your jaw. Schedule an appointment with one of our dentists today. We will provide you with information and administer necessary treatment and therapy.