235 North Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL 60067
Kaplan, Gary C D.D.S.
34491 N Old Walnut Cir # F
Gurnee, IL, 60031-4270
Stuparitz, John E D.D.S.
103 S Greenleaf St # K
Gurnee, IL, 60031-3380
Mekaelian, Arsen M D.D.S.
135 N Il Route 21
Gurnee, IL, 60031-3808
Advanced Endodontics
103 S Greenleaf St # K
Gurnee, IL, 60031-3380
TM disorder describes a variety of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint - TMJ (the point where the jaw opens and closes) and nerves related to chronic facial pain. These problems are now more easily diagnosed and treated than in the past. Women are twice as likely to be affected than men.
The exact cause of the disorder is unknown. Some factors are related to an improper bite or malocclusion, injury, arthritis, severe stress, or a combination of factors. Clenching or grinding teeth, a condition called bruxism, may develop from stress or as part of a sleep disorder. This can tire muscles and create painful spasms, causing even more pain. Repeated muscle problems may affect the joints, resulting in tissue damage, muscle tenderness, and more spasms, perpetuating a cycle of pain.
Proper diagnosis is critical to make sure you receive treatment for your particular condition. Your dentist will recommend treatment after conducting a thorough health history, clinical exam, taking appropriate X-rays, and perhaps confirming the condition through other diagnostic tests.
Your dentist may prescribe a multiple-phase treatment plan. Only minor corrective treatment may be needed. Treatment may be simple or require more steps for alleviating the condition, depending on the degree of severity. Some of these treatments include:
In most cases, the symptoms related to TM disorders can be successfully treated to reduce or eliminate your discomfort. Postponement of treatment usually results in more damage to the joint, muscles, or teeth. Be sure to discuss any questions you may have about TM symptoms and treatment plans with your dentist.
By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
The first symptom you may notice is that you can't eat a Big Mac anymore; it's just too big for your mouth.
Or you have a headache and your shoulders are stiff; the pain fluctuates from bothersome to excruciating.
Or chewing gum becomes torture, and you find yourself ordering soup and yogurt.
These are some of the signs of a TMJ disorder.
The term is a catchall for a variety of disorders relating to the temporomandibular joint-or TMJ-of the jaw.
The TMJ, which lies just in front of the ears, is a complex system of bone, cartilage, muscle and nerve that when working properly gives the jaw tremendous versatility and strength.
When the joint is abused by teeth grinding, injured by a blow to the jaw or head, or weakened by age, jaw pain can result. Stress, trauma, a bad bite, or arthritis can strain the jaw beyond design.
Dentists are more familiar today than in previous generations with the symptoms: jaw clicking, jaw popping, migraine, headache and the causes and treatments for the complex disorders.
A more stressful society is also taking its physical toll. The most dramatic research shows one in five Americans suffer from some degree of TMJ disorder. More conservative estimates put the number at one in 10.
However, many of those cases only may reveal themselves through a rather benign clicking or popping in the jaw.
In turn, the treatments prescribed by TMJ treatment clinics range from counseling and psychological therapy to splints and, in severe cases, surgery.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
