Are you experiencing ear pain or regular headaches? Did you know it could be caused by TMJ disfunction? Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can cause facial pain and discomfort among a range of other symptoms.
What is TMJ disorder?
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge that connects your temporal bone at the side of your skull (adjacent to your inner ear) with your upper and lower jaw (mandible and maxilla). The muscles that surround the joint that hold the bones in place are intricately connected with the ear and the nerve that supports the ear. This joint has the crucial function of enabling you to open and close your mouth and move side-to-side so you can eat and talk. The main symptoms of TMJ disorder are a painful jaw and limited movement in the area. The causes of TMJ are usually unclear, although they can be due to a variety of common reasons such as injury to the jaw, arthritis, teeth grinding, excessive gum chewing, or a misaligned bite.
It is estimated around 10-15% of adults will experience a TMJ disorder in their lifetime
The 3 main forms of TMJ disorders:
Myofascial pain: This is the most common condition associated with deep, aching pain in the muscles of the joint including ear discomfort
Internal derangement of the joint: This is associated with a dislocated joint or trauma to the jaw
Degenerative disease: Arthritis is a type of degenerative joint disorder that can affect the TMJ
Other common symptoms of TMJ also include:
A clicking/popping sound when opening or closing the mouth
Locking of the joint (Lockjaw)
Limited opening of the mouth
Ringing sound in the ear
Soreness throughout head, neck, temple, cheek, face, lower jaw and teeth
TMJ pain can be a dull, ongoing irritation or a sharp pain. You are more likely to experience this when you move your jaw to talk, chew, swallow, or yawn but more often first thing in the morning or at night. The condition can be categorised as chronic if you experience symptoms for longer than three months.
One kind of jaw activity that’s worth singling out is teeth clenching or bruxism. Bruxism is a parafunction–something you’re doing with your jaw that you’re not supposed to do–that is often associated with TMJ and TMJ-related headaches. Bruxism can occur during the day or night, so it may be responsible for those morning headaches you get (though that could also be sleep apnoea).
What Are the Treatment Options?
If your dentist diagnoses your earache as a sign of TMJ disorder, the great news is that you can reduce pain and discomfort with a few lifestyle changes in addition to orthodontic splint therapy. Treatment for disorders of the TMJ depends on the cause and severity. If you are experiencing mild pain, your doctor may recommend some of these self-care remedies to reduce soreness and tension in the joint:
Eat soft-foods. Try avoiding: raw fruits and vegetables, hard-crusted bread or tough meat
Avoid chewing gum, clenching or tensing your jaw
Do TMJ stretches and exercises
Apply moist heat to the area with warm packs a couple of times a day to the area
Incorporate breathing exercises to assist with relaxation, which can ease tension on the joint
Prescription-strength anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen can be used for a few days if you are having a painful flare up of your symptoms
Orthodontic appliances are a great way to correct the upper and lower teeth, as misalignment can result in problems with the temporomandibular joint.
Your orthodontist may prescribe the use of an orthopaedic splint, especially during sleep. Orthopaedic splints relieve stress from the joint and our TMJ patients have reported instant relief after use. Your orthodontist will create a bespoke orthopaedic splint which is proven to be the most clinically effective treatment for aligning your jaw joint and improving your quality of life.
Speak with your dentist or our orthopaedic orthodontist if your TMJ pain is related to an incorrect bite.
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