VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. — One of the common complaints I encounter as a dentist is “TMJ.” Patients usually mean that their jaw hurts.

Literally, TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint, the joint that allows the jaw to move. The sometimes painful symptoms associated with the jaws are called “TMDs,” or temporomandibular disorders, and can be the result of many different things.

The TMJ is considered the most complex joint in the body. It hinges when you open your mouth, slides when you open really wide, and rotates when you move your jaw side to side.

Your lower jaw has a ball on the end called the condyle. This fits into an indentation on your upper jaw called the articular fossa. These two bony areas are connected by a series of ligaments making your jaw, in essence, a ball bearing. If anything goes wrong with the way all these pieces fit together, you can have jaw pain.

More often than not, jaw pain is not related to your TMJ. The number one cause of jaw pain is the muscles that hold your jaws together and allow you to chew. The pain is the result of overusing these muscles through grinding or clenching your teeth.

Fortunately, this is usually routine to treat. Learning how to relax those muscles, stretching them, applying hot compresses and learning the stressors that lead to overworking them can make the pain go away.

The rate of recurrence is very high though, so many people with chronic jaw pain end up doing these exercises forever — the good news is it can take as little as 10 minutes a day.

Another common reason for jaw pain is sinus problems. Anyone who has ever had a sinus infection knows that it makes your teeth and jaw hurt. The good news is when your sinuses clear up, your pain goes away.

This is particularly common in areas like Oklahoma where allergens are plentiful. The best way to treat this cause of jaw pain is to see your doctor and take whatever medications they give you exactly as prescribed.

Occasionally, jaw pain is related to the TMJ, and this is when treatment gets more complicated. The jaw is subject to all the same problems as any other joint — arthritis, fatigue and bone loss to name a few.

The most important aspect of these problems is accurate diagnosis. Dentists have multiple treatments to aid in these cases where the TMJ itself is the problem. Some of these include splint therapy — wearing a custom guard to limit the forces on your TMJ.

Medications to reduce the rate at which the TMJ breaks down and surgical options are available.

The best thing you can do to ensure your TMJs stay healthy is seek treatment early if you think you might have a problem.

Here are a few keys to remember:
· Jaw noise isn’t necessarily a problem — see your dentist if the noise changes or has pain associated with it.
· The best treatment is early and frequent intervention — most of the time without medication so don’t hesitate getting checked out.
· The right person to see is a dentist and expect to get some X-rays taken.

Jaw pain can also be caused by chronic headaches, tooth problems, nerve pain and even a heart attack. If you think you may be suffering from TMD, contact your dentist.

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Various methods of TMJ treatment are available. However, several patients are frustrated with TMJ solutions. They either find themselves with aggravated symptoms or they simply do not find the kind of relief they have expected from such cures. Sometimes, patients forget that not every TMJ treatment works for everybody. There are also those who improperly apply the TMJ cure they have resorted to. And others have not chosen the kind of treatment that is appropriate to their condition. The last happens a lot when a patient is misdiagnosed and is given a totally different or wrong remedy, oftentimes resulting to even more difficulties.

A misdiagnosis of TMJ can happen when the doctor a person has sought advice from is not an expert in the said condition. Some experts in TMJ disorder sometimes give treatments that are limited to a specific area of expertise. This is why there is no panacea for TMJ conditions. The success of different methods of TMJ varies from one person to another. To ensure that you are getting the proper advice, seek one from a reputable specialist. Getting a second, and even a third, opinion also helps in assessing the methods of treatment that one would choose.

In the treatment of TMJ disorder, it is best to select non-invasive procedures. Have your condition double checked as it might not require surgery and heavy medication. Resort to surgery and heavy medication when there are no other means alleviate it but an invasive one. Remember, some invasive solutions are irreversible and can cause more harm when unsuccessful.

One non-invasive solution you can try is exercise. Jaw massage and jaw exercises can help relieve the pain you feel. You can start with gently opening and closing your mouth then moving your jaws from one side to another. If you choose to follow specific exercises, you can always ask help from your doctor.

Another natural way of dealing with TMJ disorder is eating the right food. Sticking to a soft diet is a possible treatment. A soft diet keeps you from using your jaws excessively. Avoiding chewing gum also helps.

Managing TMJ disorder can be difficult, especially when you experience a lot of stress. It is also possible that a TMJ condition results from stress. There are lots of ways to fight stress, including stress reduction classes and simply reminding yourself to relax when stressful situations come your way.

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• Pain in the facial muscles and joints: TMJ can cause pain and soreness especially if it is creating lock jaw, locking shut or making it difficult to open the mouth. Pain is usually in front of the joint itself, just below the ear, but it can move elsewhere on the face.

• Pain in the ears: Patients often mistake TMJ for earaches. When the joint grinds back and forth patients typically feel that they are experiencing ear pain because the joint is too close for them to differentiate where it is occurring. This could cause ringing in the ears and hearing problems.

• Clicking or popping noises: The TMJ treatment might not be needed if there is no discomfort in the clicking or popping noises. The clicking or popping noises happen when the joints move or are out of place. It can become loud enough for others to hear as well. This is one of the most common symptoms of TMJ.

• Swelling on the affected side of the head: The patient’s face and mouth may swell from the irritation of their joints.
• Headaches: Headaches are common but not all patients with TMJ experience this kind of TMJ pain. These headaches can lead to dizziness or nausea.

• Difficulty biting down properly: If one side or one joint becomes sorer than the other patients may find themselves favoring a side of their mouth that produces less TMJ pain. When this happens they create a habit of opening and closing their mouth improperly.

This is not a conclusive list of TJM symptoms. TMJ can be caused by trauma, disease, aging, or bad habits such as excessive gum chewing or grinding. To have TMJ you could have one or all of the above TMJ symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and you think they could be TMJ pain, you should to have them looked at.

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