Occlusion and Joint Disorders (TMJ Disorders)

Do you wake up every morning with muscle pain or stiffness in your jaw, neck, head or even shoulders?

Have pain when you hear your jaw joint clicking, popping or grating when opening or closing your mouth?

Are you have pain in you ear or feeling pressure inside it?

Do you have limited movement of the jaw?

If yes, you are having one of the most frequent symptoms of people suffering from temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders; Occlusion and Joint Disorders (TMJDs).

What is Occlusion and Joint Disorders?

TMJDs are a set of clinical conditions characterized by limitation in jaw movement and pain in the jaw joint and surrounding tissues.

The cause of Occlusion and Joint Disorders problems in general start from an injury, but for many people, symptoms seem to start without obvious reason.

Sometimes discomfort can be occasional will go away with little or no treatment. Even if symptoms persist, most patients still do not need aggressive

Types of treatment  for (TMJ Disorders)

TMJ pain is usually described as a dull ache in the temporomandibular joint and surrounding areas, such as the ears, neck and shoulders.

Some people may have no pain, but still experience jaw functionality difficulties.

Other symptoms of TMD include the following:

• Pain or soreness in the jaw that is more prevalent in the morning or late afternoon.
• Clicking or popping when opening or closing the mouth.
• Swelling on the side of the face.
• Sensitive teeth in the absence of dental problems.
• An earache in the absence of an infection.
• Difficulty opening and closing the mouth and/or chewing.
• Upper and lower teeth that do not align properly (malocclusion).
• Stiffness or “locked” feeling in the jaw when talking, yawning or eating.
• Jaw pain when chewing, biting or yawning.
• Recent changes to the bite.
• Frequently waking up with headaches or experiencing frequent tension headaches.

Your particular TMJ treatment should be determined through consultation with a dental professional highly experienced in temporomandibular joint problems.

In most cases the treatment would be wearing a (night guard) which is a custom made occlusal splint that covers the lower teeth and the patient should wear it 10 hours a day for two months, if this didn’t work surgery will be the final treatment.