There’s more to a healthy mouth than teeth and gums. A healthy jaw is essential for proper function and flexibility. When it’s misaligned, it can cause pain and discomfort that impacts a patient’s ability to eat, sleep, breathe, talk and even kiss.

Let’s talk more about the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, and how dentists play a key role in identifying and treating this painful disorder.

Getting to Know the Temporomandibular Joint

As one of the body’s most flexible joints and providing the largest range of motion, the TMJ is located at the base of the skull. Situated at the front of the ear, it connects the maxilla (the upper jaw) and the mandible (the lower jaw) by using a cartilage-lined, horseshoe-shaped hinge. It allows your mouth to open and close and the lower jaw to move side to side and forward. But with this complex mobility comes the risk of injury.

Experts estimate that around 12% of Americans live with TMJ disorders at some point in their lives, with women being nine times as likely as men to experience TMJ symptoms. But what causes TMJ, and is there effective treatment?

The Causes of TMJ Disorder

Doctors can identify signs and symptoms of TMJ disorder, but the exact cause is often difficult to determine. “Your pain may be due to a combination of factors, such as genetics, arthritis or jaw injury,” explains Mayo Clinic experts.

Other experts have seen three distinct signs of TMJ disorder. Although not limited to these symptoms, TMJ disorder is often associated with pain, sound and restricted movement.

• Painful TMJ disorder symptoms: These can include pain or tenderness in the jaw and TMJ joints, aches in or around the ear, and facial pain.
• Distinct popping or clicking jaw joint sounds: Jaw clicking while chewing, talking or yawning isn’t exclusive to TMJ disorder, but it is a notable symptom of misalignment, and it’s often accompanied by pain and restrictive movement.
• Restricted jaw movement: The most distinctive feature of TMD is experiencing difficulty opening and closing your mouth. That locking of the jaw joint can be painful.

The Treatments for TMJ Disorder

Early dentistry used invasive procedures to treat TMJ disorder. “In the 1970s and ’80s, it was common for people to be told that the source of any jaw ache was their TMJ,” explains the dental staff at dentaldepot.com.

Physicians and dentists alike believed that to get rid of the pain, the bite needed to be fixed. As a result, many patients underwent all kinds of operations and dental work – including orthodontia, crowns and even the grinding down of teeth in an attempt to alter the bite.”

Current dentistry procedures take a different approach to treating this serious jaw joint disorder. For instance, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research suggests the following treatment strategies for minor cases of TMJ disorder:

• Eating softer foods.
• Avoiding chewing gum and biting your nails.
• Modifying the pain with heat packs.
• Practicing relaxation techniques to control jaw tension, such as meditation or biofeedback.

If necessary, experts also recommend the following treatments for more serious cases:

• Jaw joint exercises to strengthen your jaw muscles.
• Using medications prescribed by your dentist; for example, muscle relaxants, analgesics, anti-anxiety drugs or anti-inflammatory medications.
• Having a dentist create a night guard or bite plate to decrease clenching or grinding of teeth.

Dentists play a pivotal role in screening for jaw misalignments, dysfunction and TMJ disorder. By conducting a comprehensive health screening, dentists can determine the cause of a patient’s discomfort and design an effective treatment plan for long-term relief.

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