Symptoms of Tmd


by Patricia Woloch - Date: 2008-11-21 - Word Count: 409 Share This!


Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) occurs when the joint connecting your upper and lower jaw goes out of alignment. In severe cases, it can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort.



The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the most complex joints in the human body. As a result, it is often difficult to identify the specific cause of an individual's TMD problems. However, there are several factors that are commonly believed to cause most TMD cases. These are:


· Grinding your teeth


· Dislocation of the disk between the jawbone and socket


· Arthritis


· Stress



Most Common Symptoms of TMD



Due to the complexity of the joints connecting your jaw to your skull, TMD can take on a variety of forms, each exhibiting different symptoms. You will most likely not experience all of these symptoms if you have TMD. However, you will probably exhibit at least a few of them.



Some of the most common TMD symptoms are:


· Clicking noises in the jaw - This is probably the most common symptom exhibited by those suffering from TMD. The clicking or popping noise will happen when the jaw opens and closes. Frequently, the person suffering from TMD will be the only one able to hear these noises.


· Locking of the jaw - This locking occurs when the mandible lowers. It is frequently very painful.


· Grinding of the teeth - This is both a cause and a symptom of TMD. Excessive grinding can result in damage to the TMJ disk.


· Restricted movement in the jaw - When your TMJ disk dislocates, you may experience restricted motion in your jaw. Frequently, your jaw will only be able to open a small amount.


· Headaches - One of the most common symptoms of TMD, these headaches usually occur in the temples and back of the head. Frequently, they are caused by grinding your teeth.



Several other symptoms include:


· Neck pain


· Jaw pain


· Sensitive teeth


· Excessive tooth wear



Treatment Options



If you suffer from TMD, you need to see a neuromuscular dentist. He will treat your TMD by correcting the alignment in your bite.



The most common devices used to correct TMD are bite guards and orthotics. Bite guards are generally only worn at night to prevent teeth grinding while sleeping. Orthotics are devices designed to correct irregularities in your bite.



Your neuromuscular dentist can also prescribe pain medication, muscle relaxants, and cortico steroids to help with the pain. In extreme circumstances, surgery might be required, but this is very rare.




Related Tags: portsmouth headaches, portsmouth implant dentist, portsmouth implant dentistry, portsmouth instant orthodontics, portsmouth invisalign, portsmouth laser dentist, portsmouth laser dentistry, portsmouth migraine, portsmouth migraine headaches


If you suffer from TMD or migraine headaches in the Hampton, Virginia area, please visit the website of Dr. Michael Folck today to schedule an initial consultation.

Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: