WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER (TMJ)

WHAT IS TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER (TMJ)

Temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMJ, is a condition in which the temporomandibular joint is not working properly. Typically, TMJ will cause a crunching sound when chewing or opening the mouth. It is often impossible to determine the exact cause of this disorder because it is caused by many different factors and is often neuromuscular.

CAUSES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ) DISORDERS

Joint disorders (TMJ) can occur due to the following:

• Abnormalities of the upper and lower jaw bones are congenital as well as structural abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint area.
• The cartilage of the joint is damaged by arthrosis. The joint is damaged by a blow or other traumatic impacts.
• The habit of chewing only one side for many years, clenching teeth, grinding teeth (common when it is necessary to use strength to work, play sports, when stressed, angry or unconscious during sleep)
• The patient has long-term tooth loss, bite misalignment. In addition, when suffering from systemic diseases of the joints such as polyarthritis, it is also easy to suffer from temporomandibular joint disorders.

In many cases, the cause of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) is unclear. Common in patients with stress, anxiety and other psychological disorders.

SYMPTOMS OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ) DISORDERS

Some of the most common TMJ symptoms include:

• Headache (often with migraine-like signs), earache, eye pain, and glaucoma.
• Crunching or trunk tire sounds when opening or closing your mouth
• Feeling pain when yawning, opening your mouth wide, or when chewing
• The jaw feels “stuck”, stiff or the joint is not in place
• Soreness, jaw muscle fatigue
• The upper and lower teeth do not fit together, causing discomfort or pain when chewing

TREATMENTS FOR TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDERS (TMJ)

Usually, patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction will receive a combination of medical treatment (analgesic, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant… depending on the pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms), a combination of physiotherapy (such as massage, warm compresses on both joints about 4-5 times a day, 15 minutes each).

After medical treatment and still have jaw pain, patients need to combine “chewing troughs” worn at night, and follow up by appointment to monitor and adjust the trough. In addition, if the cause of TDH disorder is long-term tooth loss or misalignment of the bite, after less painful treatment, the patient needs to replant teeth, braces or grind the bite …

The treatment of temporomandibular disorders is unlikely to be completely cured because much depends on the severity of the disease and the patient’s adherence to treatment. The mistake that patients often make the disease does not stop completely and easily recurs is not to have regular follow-up visits to adjust the chewing trough; arbitrarily buy oral medicines, do not perform dental prosthetics, orthodontics … as prescribed by a doctor.