Causes of Temporomandibular Joint Pain

 Do you ever experience headaches or jaw pain? After
eating or talking, is your mouth sore? TMJ disorders can cause tenderness and
pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is the joint on each side of
your head in front of your ears, where your lower jawbone meets your skull.
This joint is what allows you to talk, chew and yawn. If you are experiencing
complications with your TMJ, even the most common task of yawning can evoke
pain. Your dentist in Walnut Creek has received post-doctorate training at both
UCLA and UCSF for treating painful TMJ disorders so that you can finally
experience relief from your pain.

The Causes and Symptoms

Known causes or contributing elements of TMJ
incorporate direct damage to the jaw, face or head from a heavyblow or
whiplash. Other direct inborn variables incorporate grasping or crushing the
teeth, arthritis,dislocation of circle, and psycho-enthusiastic anxiety.
Roundabout or extraneous elements can incorporate injury to anyplace else in
the body, poor pelvic arrangement, muscle/postural imbalances,poor oral
propensities as well as body mechanics at home and work. Since one TMJ can’t
move autonomously of the other, it is viewed as a “reciprocal joint”.
Being a reciprocal joint makes it more inclined to and straightforwardly
influenced by fascial misalignments. For instance, well finished portion of all
TMJ patients seen at HOPT have some type of pelvic misalignment also.

The cause of a TMJ disorder may not always be
clear, but dentists believe that symptoms often arise from problems with the
muscles of the jaw or with the parts of the joint itself. Injury to your jaw,
temporomandibular joint, or muscles of the head and neck can cause TMD.
Injuries such as receiving a heavy blow or whiplash can be leading causes to
your pain. Other possible causes of your pain might include:

*Grinding or holding your teeth

*Dislocation of the delicate pad or circle between
the ball and attachment

*Presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid joint
inflammation in the TMJ

*Stress, which can make you fix your facial and jaw
muscles or hold your teeth

On the off chance that you experience the ill
effects of a TMJ issue (TMD), you can encounter extreme agony and distress day
by day, which can be impermanent or it can keep going for a long time. Ladies,
more regularly than men, encounter TMD, which is likewise most usually found in
individuals between the ages of 20 and 40. Some normal indications of TMD may
include:

*Pain or delicacy in the face, jaw joint territory,
neck and shoulders

*Limited capacity to open the mouth wide

*Jaws that stall out or secure in the open or shut
position

*Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds in the jaw
joint when opening or shutting the mouth

*A tired feeling in the face

*Difficulty biting or a sudden awkward chomp

Finding Treatment for Your Pain

Treatments for TMD range from simple self-care
practices and conservative treatments to injections and surgery for more
serious cases. Most dentists will agree that treatment should begin with
conservative, nonsurgical therapies first, with surgery as a last resort for if
conservative treatments fail. Some basic, conservative treatment options might
include:

*Apply moist heat or cold packs.

*Eat soft foods.

*Take proper medications as prescribed by your
dentist.

*Low-level laser therapy.

*Wear a splint or night guard when
sleeping.

*Undergo corrective dental treatments, including
replacing missing teeth.

*Avoid extreme jaw movements.

*Don’t rest your chin on your hand.

*Keep your teeth slightly apart.

*Learn proper relaxation techniques.

If the conservative treatments are proven
unsuccessful, your dentist will suggest another form of treatment, or surgery.
So, if you are experiencing pain in your jaw, talk to your Walnut Creek dentist
for further diagnosis and treatment. There is no reason why you should put up
with jaw pain or soreness.

Come by our office at 735 Meyers Baker Rd London, KY 40741 to take care of yout TMJ issues!