Important Information About TMJ Disorders

By Jamal D White


Many people all over the world have a tendency of grinding, gnashing, gritting and clenching their teeth subconsciously or unconsciously during the day or at night. This is a medical condition that has numerous causes, whose effects can be severe headaches, breaking of teeth, and serious jaw pains when the tendency is continued for long. Whether you do it unconsciously or not, you have to be aware of the symptoms to make it possible to tell when something is wrong. Doctors have varied opinions relating to the actual cause of this bruxism including defects within the joints, jaw muscles and use of excessive pressure on the jaw area like when someone is hit.

Physicians are increasingly shedding light on the cause of bruxism thanks to the continuing research that is done on the matter. For instance, many are of the opinion that the cause of this disorder is airway instability that arises when someone is sleeping. This occurs just like during upper airway resistance syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea.

When people sleep, the upper airway, which is made of soft tissue could be pressured when the muscles relax, which in turn could result to restriction of breathing. Since the facial muscles hold the jaw that can relax any time, it could result to different breathing difficulties when people sleep. This in turn might make people clench their teeth during sleep.

Other causes of temporomandibular joint disorder exist, including grinding, or clenching of the teeth, which has an effect of putting pressure on the TMJ and the dislocation of the disc or soft cushion that is between the socket and the ball. It could also be because of rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis within the TMJ. Stress is also a common cause of the condition since it causes people to tighten their jaw and facial muscles or clench teeth.

No one who clenches his or her teeth may be able to tell whether he or she does it since everything takes place unconsciously. However, if you do this too often, you could start experiencing different TMJ symptoms, which you need to be aware of to tell whether you have the problem. This information could play a big role in enabling you start the process of finding a cure before it gets worse.

A few of the major signs and symptoms that individuals struggling with this problem could experience include discomfort around the neck, jaw joint area, shoulders and round the ear and difficulty in opening the mouth broadly. If you see protuberances along the side of the face, or perhaps feel a tired feeling around the face, maybe it is a manifestation of this problem. Regular popping, clicking and grating sounds around the jaw may be a significant symptom.

If you want to deal with the problem permanently, it would be necessary to go through treatment. Chiropractors are some of the most reliable in dealing with patients that have this problem because they can help people stop grinding and clenching their teeth and even stop sleep apnea. They are also very helpful since their therapy does not involve drug use.

Fighting TMJ disorders requires someone to understand the symptoms first. This is because you might not know whether you have this disorder unless you notice the symptoms. It is always advisable to seek the services of an experienced physician to help deal with the problem.




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