What Causes TMJ Disorder?

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, for short, is in reference to the hinge that connects your jaw to the temporal bones on the skull. These bones are right in front of each ear. Essentially, it allows your jaw to move up and down in order to eat, talk, yawn and do anything else you might with your mouth. There are times though where the muscles around the hinge do not function properly, which can cause the TMJ disorder.

What Causes TMJ Disorder

The short answer to this is dentists do not know what really causes the disorder. There are some things you might do that can bring it about, but in terms of why it happens to one person over another, this is still a bit of a mystery. Most dentists believe the problem comes from problems within the muscles of your jaw. These problems with the muscles can stem from injuries you might suffer, such as whiplash in a car accident, or other injuries to your neck, or head.

There are other causes which observe by the best dentist in orlando at Watson Dental Care that can bring about TMJ disorder though. One includes grinding of your teeth or clenching your jaw, which places pressure on the muscles and joint. Many individuals need to wear a mouth guard while sleeping in order to prevent grinding while sleeping. Outside of this, there is a soft cushion between the ball socket of your joint. If there is movement here, it can cause TMJ disorder. Arthritis as you age may cause pain right here, and even stress may bring it about. Stress can cause you to strain your facial muscles, bite down and cause other problems within your mouth as well.

Symptoms of TMJ Disorder

Your dentist might be able to spot TMJ disorder early on during a visit, although most likely you actually need to go in and see your dentist in order to tell them of your discomfort. due to this, it is important to know what the symptoms are of the disorder. In general, women are more likely to deal with TMJ than men, and it is most common in people from the age of 20 to 40, although if your TMJ disorder is caused by arthritis, it can occur well beyond this age demographic.

Common symptoms of TMJ disorder can include pain in your face and focused around the hinge of your jaw. It can also stem down into your neck, shoulders and other areas around your head. You might feel pain when you chew, talk or just open your mouth because of it. You might have a problem trying to open your mouth wide and your jaw might actually become stuck or lock into place when you open or close your mouth. In this case, you do not want to force it open or closed, but instead go to your dentist right away.

Other symptoms include a clicking or popping sound when you eat or talk. If you have swelling around the side of your face, your face has an odd tired feeling or you just have a sudden uncomfortable bite when eating, you might be dealing with TMJ disorder.

If you detect any of the symptoms, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your dentist and go in to see them as quickly as possible.