TMJ Disorders and Their Treatment - General Cosmetic Dentistry Information
Do you wake up every morning with pain in your jaw? Or have you found that your jaw starts to crack and creak and you have no idea what is causing the problem? If so, you may have TMD, or tempromandibular joint disorder. This is the joint in the jaw that allows the mouth to open and close. It also allows movement up and down, forward and back, and even side to side. When you have a TMJ disorder, you basically have a problem with the jaw and with the muscles that surround it, causing you pain and possibly other uncomfortable symptoms.
The most common symptoms of tempromandibular joint disorder include migraines, jaw stiffness, pain in the neck and shoulders, ear pain, dizziness, and a painful clicking or popping or grating in the jaw whenever the mouth is opened and closed. It can, however, be a difficult condition to diagnose, as there is no widely accepted test to correctly identify the condition. Most often, other tests are done in order to rule out other medical conditions before a diagnosis of TMD is given.
What most people are searching for is a tempromandibular joint treatment that will help them get their jaw back to normal. The first thing a TMD sufferer should try for treatment is to take anti-inflammatory medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin. This can help ease the pain and discomfort of the syndrome. You can also apply warm compresses to the area of the jaw. After the compress has been on the jaw for 20 minutes, a series of mouth exercises, such as moving the jaw from side to side and opening and closing it a few times can help loosen up the jaw. Doing this five times a day for at least four weeks has been known to help TMD sufferers.
A dentist may also prescribe a bite plate or even types of orthodontia, such as braces, to help realign the jaw and remove the pain. Most dentists, however, recommend that the first type of tempromandibular joint disorder treatment you try is a less radical approach that you can start a home.