Jaw Joint Pain Management

TMD is a complex disorder and can be caused & / or aggravated due to multiple factors, such as:

• Stress
• Psychological problems
• Systemic problems like Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis
• Trauma/accidents
• Whiplash injuries
• Injury to the jaw duringContact sports
• Forceps Delivery during birth
• Parafunctional habits like Daytime or nighttime clenching or grinding
  Postural problems
• Prolonged dental procedures
• Missing tooth
• Faulty dental crowns , bridges or fillings
• Traumatic Wisdom tooth removal without adequate jaw support
• Muscle problems that affect jaw movement
• Teeth alignment problems

It has often been noticed that in some patients the problem may be due to the teeth not being perfectly "straight".

There are several muscles that function in tandem to help open and close the mouth. They control the lower jaw (mandible) as it moves forward, backward, and side-to-side. Both TM joints are involved in these movements. Each TM joint has a disc between the ball and socket (see diagram).

The disc cushions the load while enabling the jaw to open widely and perform rotating and translational movements. Any problem that prevents this complex system of muscles, ligaments, discs and bones from working together properly may result in a painful TMJ disorder.

Common symptoms of TMJ include:
• Frequent headaches or migraine
• Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw
• Ringing sound in the ears

• Itching in the ear
• Un-explainable hearing loss
• Vertigo/ dizziness
• Pain or pressure near the eye ball
• Shooting or biting pain
  • Pain in the shoulder, neck and back
  • Sudden numbness in arms or fingers
  • Dull, aching facial pain
  • Difficulty or discomfort in biting or chewing
  • Clicking sound while chewing or opening the mouth
  • Grating sensation while chewing
  • Locking or decreased ability to open or close the mouth (lock jaw)
  • Cracked fillings or tooth chipping
  • Swelling on the side of the face

We at Dr. Deepika’s Dental clinic follow the following protocol in order to diagnose if you have a TMD

1. At first we try to get a complete history of your conditions with help of our carefully designed set of questionnaires and a detailed discussion with you
2. Next we carry out a detailed examination of your jaw movements and areas of pain and related symptoms
3. We may require to get a few investigations done such as an MRI or CBCT which we will suggest as required
4. Certain photographs and your bite models will be recorded for detailed evaluation

These records and our clinical expertise helps us come to a proper diagnosis

The treatment depends on the stage at which you have come in. TMD is a complex multifactorial disorder which worsens as time progresses. The earlier you start treatment the better it is.

The early stage TMDs can be treated with Non-Invasive procedures involving Splint therapy/ Orthotics along with Laser therapy, Ultrasound and Physiotherapy.

The later stage TMDs may require additional Injections &/or Few invasive interventions.

Extremely complex cases may also require surgical interventions under general anesthesia. But the surgical intervention is considered only after all other treatment options as mentioned above have been tried out and none has worked to reduce the severity of pain, the incidence of which is relatively less.