Dealing with TMJ Disorders
The jaw is used every day for laughing, talking and eating, and it is good if it is functioning properly, but when it starts to hurt, it can interfere with simple everyday things.
The temporomandibular joint is one of the
It can be viewed as a complex joint in the human body, moving up and down, side to side, in and out, and transitioning smoothly, yet more than 10 million people in the United States live with jaw pain and dysfunction.
Doctors sometimes diagnose this condition as TMJ disorder.
TMJ disorder reacts differently in different people.
For example, some people experience discomfort.
For example, some people experience discomfort, some people experience tension, and some people experience severe pain.
Some people have symptoms in the muscles that move the jaw. It is the discs within the TMJ that are damaged and can develop arthritis, or even multiple disorders at the same time.
TMJ disorder can start after some kind of injury and there is no obvious cause for most people. Symptoms may include pain, stiffness, limited jaw movement, painful clicking or popping noises in the joints, and changes in the bite of the teeth.
If you have any of these symptoms, you need to see a dentist immediately, who will interview you and examine your head, neck, face and jaw to diagnose TMJ disorder. Your dental and medical history will be checked, and X-rays and other imaging tests will be used to make a diagnosis.
For jaw pain
There are simple self-care practices that can be followed, and you may be recommended to try a bite guard, as the pain should decrease over time. A BioGuard is like a plastic mouthpiece that fits over your teeth.
TMJ disorder can also be chronic, causing pain and discomfort that lasts more than three months. Aggressive treatments include surgery, partials that alter the occlusion, and even teeth adjustment or removal, but whether these treatments help or not has not been scientifically studied.
Therefore, these treatments may make things worse, and once you undergo the surgery, you will not be able to return to your previous state.
Therefore, if you have symptoms that last longer than three months, you may need the help of a specialist who specializes in muscles, bones, arthritis, pain, and the nervous system, as well as a dentist.
Funded by the NIH
Researchers have been working with people who develop TMJ disorder to genetically analyze how long their symptoms last. A large study has identified several genes that are common in people with severe jaw pain. They are now testing to see if early treatment can prevent chronic disability in people with certain genes.
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Summary
The content of this article recommended that the following measures can be taken on a daily basis: do not spread the jaw too wide, do not eat foods that are too hard, and learn to relax the jaw area.
If we know whether TMJ is genetically predisposed to chronicity or not, we can expect to find a better way to deal with TMJ disorder if we can establish a method to deal with it.The surgery mentioned above may not always work, so it is important to be cautious.
