In some cases, TMJ can be cured permanently, depending on the cause and symptoms. Living with a TMJ disorder can be a lifelong challenge with debilitating pain while others may have mild, occasional symptoms that don’t impact them. TMJ is the jaw joint that helps us to chew, talk, yawn, and swallow. When it becomes inflamed or aggravated, it becomes a TMJ disorder. For many sufferers, it is difficult to know if the dysfunction is curable. In this article, we demystify the issue of TMJ, explain what causes TMJ disorders, and offer methods that can be used to cure it permanently.
What is TMJ?
TMJ is the abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint which is located at the base of the skull in front of the ears and connects the upper and lower jaw. When this area is injured or damaged, it is known as a TMJ disorder. In the best case, this disorder causes minimal pain. At worst, it can be excruciating and debilitating. Misalignment or injury of the TMJ can result in intense pain, jaw clicking and stiffness, headaches and even ear problems.
Types of TMJ Disorders
TMJ disorders are often referred to as TMD or temporomandibular disorders/dysfunction. It is crucial to know what type of TMJ disorder you have in order to cure it. Some types of disorders have a higher success rate than others as the damage is more severe or permanent. We look at the three main types of TMJ disorders and how they occur.
- Myofascial pain: This is the pain felt in the muscles around the jaw joint and front of ear. This type of TMJ disorder is usually the most common. A person suffering from myofascial pain will notice pain when chewing, or during any repetitive movements. It can be related to stress and will often appear suddenly.
- Internal derangement of the joint: This type of TMJ disorder refers to a displaced disc, dislocated jaw or injury to the condyle (the head of the mandible which is crucial for the jaw’s movement in the temporomandibular joint). This is a trauma-related injury and can be the result of a car accident, sports injury or any blunt force trauma to the face or jaw. It can also be caused by jaw clenching or grinding of teeth. The TMJ structure is damaged and becomes inflamed which causes pain.
- Degenerative joint disease: The degenerative joint disease, arthritis, is an inflammatory joint disorder that can affect the TMJ. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis to affect the temporomandibular joint but rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile arthritis and lupus can also lead to TMJ pain in adults. Pain, inflammation and stiffness in the jaw are the most common indicators of degenerative joint disease.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorders
There are many different symptoms that indicate you might have a TMJ disorder, from a slight jaw twinge to shoulder and neck pain and severe headaches. If any of these symptoms are ongoing you most likely have a TMJ disorder. If so, diagnosis can be the first step towards curing it. Let’s look at the symptoms of TMJ disorders here.
- Pain: The most obvious symptom of TMJ disorder is pain felt when moving the jaw. Other pain includes headaches, shoulder and neck ache, and ear aches that can radiate to the cheek. TMJ disorder symptoms can also appear as toothache.
- Restricted movement: Limited jaw movement is a common symptom of TMJ disorder. The jaw may be stiff and hard to move. You may have difficulty opening or closing your mouth. There may be pain when moving the jaw.
- Sounds: Sounds like jaw clicking or popping can be an indication of a TMJ disorder. This is particularly true if the clicking sounds occur alongside pain or other symptoms. Buzzing or ringing in the ears known as tinnitus can also occur as a symptom of a temporomandibular disorder.
Causes of TMJ Disorders
In order to find the right cure, you need to know what the cause of your TMJ disorder is. Any of these issues can cause a TMJ disorder.
- Injury or trauma: Injury or trauma of the jaw can lead to TMJ disorder. In fact, about 20 % of TMJ disorders can be attributed to a direct injury or trauma. A blow to the jaw from an accident, sporting injury or physical fight can cause damage to the jaw joints as well as the skull. Synovitis (swelling in the synovial membrane that lines some of your joints), haemorrhage and collagen deformation are all present after a direct jaw trauma. Whiplash or anything that affects the neck can also result in jaw problems.
- Teeth grinding: Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding can cause a TMJ disorder as teeth grinding puts a strain on teeth and jaws.
- Arthritis: The TMJ can be affected by arthritis, which is an inflammatory disease that causes joint degeneration. As arthritis progresses, it may affect the TMJ and start causing dysfunction of the jaw, leading to pain, difficulty chewing and jaw locking.
- Malocclusion: When your teeth are overcrowded or misaligned it is known as malocclusion. This can be overbites, underbites or crossbites and are one of the main causes of TMJ disorder. When your teeth are not fitting together properly, your muscles cannot be in the optimum rest position when the mouth is closed which puts stress on the jaw. This stress causes pain and eventual degradation of the jaw and surrounding tissues.
- Stress and anxiety: Stress and anxiety can cause TMJ disorder as sufferers can find it difficult to sleep, have headaches and be prone to teeth grinding. All of these symptoms are contributing factors for developing a TMJ disorder.
How To Cure TMJ Permanently
If you have been living with the pain of a TMJ disorder, you will probably be wanting to find methods for a permanent cure. Chronic pain rarely goes away on its own and it is best for you to seek medical help from a professional if you find that your daily activities are being interrupted by TMJ pain and symptoms. With the right treatment, TMJ can go away completely, depending on the cause and severity of symptoms. TMJ disorder with extreme pain caused by arthritis, for instance, may be harder to cure because it is a degenerative disease. The pain can be managed, however. On the other hand, TMJ disorders that stem from things like a misaligned jaw or bruxism can be treated and may no longer give you issues. These are some of the successful methods for curing TMJ permanently.
- Custom made splints/mouth guards: A custom made splint or mouth guard is one of the most successful ways to cure moderate TMJ issues. This removable appliance covers some or all of the upper and lower teeth. Because it is flat, its smooth surface helps to reduce teeth grinding and lessen the pressure exerted on the jaw. The main goal of splints is to protect the TMJ from dysfunctional pressure that exacerbates the TMj disorder. By relieving the pressure and aligning the bite, TMJ disorder can be cured.
- Fix dental problems: Dental problems like crooked or missing teeth or misalignment can lead to TMJ disorder and pain. The dentist can replace missing teeth, fix crooked teeth and will use crowns, bridges, or braces to fix the bite problem. Once the dental problem is alleviated, the symptoms of a TMJ disorder often dissipate.
- Physical therapy: Physical therapy includes exercises to correct jaw misalignment. This can be done at home or via a professional physical therapist, depending on the acuteness of the pain. By doing exercises like controlled opening rotation, and jaw opening with resistance, the muscles that support the TMJ are stretched. This improves joint mobility and reduces pain.
- Posture education: Bad posture habits like rounded shoulders, anterior pelvic tilt, or a forward neck could be aggravating a TMJ disorder. If you improve posture, you can alleviate TMJ pain. When standing make sure your body weight is evenly distributed. When sitting, sit up straight and try to align the ears, shoulders and hips. When you improve your posture you are strengthening the muscles responsible for maintaining proper alignment, such as the core and upper back, reducing TMJ discomfort.
- Botox: This non-invasive treatment is very successful for alleviating the pain of TMJ disorder. Botox is a muscle relaxant that may ease muscle tension for several months at a time. When tension is eased in the jaw, there is no additional pressure which relieves the pain and degenerative reaction in the jaw and surrounding tissues. You can even combine Botox treatment with other therapies such as mouth guards to lessen muscle tension while you sleep.
- TENS machine: The electrostimulation from the TENS machine sends a mild ultra low frequency pulse to the jaw muscle which reduces pain and releases tension. Regular TENS therapy can give you relief from the pain and regular treatments have been known to completely alleviate TMJ problems in mild to moderate cases.
- Ultrasound: Ultrasound therapy has been known to alleviate the pain of TMJ and, in some cases, completely cure the disorder. The ultrasound uses sound waves to deliver heat to the tissues inside and around the jaw which promotes relaxation. Some people have found regular ultrasound treatments the perfect cure for their TMJ issues.
- Surgery: As a last resort, surgical options can completely cure TMJ. These options include arthroscopy, arthrocentesis, and open joint surgery. Your dentist and doctor may recommend surgery if your pain is chronic and other methods have been tried without success. The success rate of TMJ surgery is 80 to 90 percent.
What Happens if TMJ is Left Untreated
If you have chronic TMJ disorder symptoms and they are left untreated, there are potential long term health effects.
- Tooth loss: Constant teeth grinding and jaw clenching can wear away at the tooth enamel and cause long term damage to the teeth. Teeth become fragile and prone to breakage and tooth loss.
- Impaired jaw function: The longer TMJ disorder is left, the more damage to the joints resulting in severe pain and inflammation of the jaw that can extend across the face, neck and shoulders. This inflammation can lead to complications like impaired jaw function, and you may even require surgery to relieve the pain if the joints have deteriorated to the point where they no longer function.
- Headaches: Tension headaches and migraines can be a common occurrence if TMJ is left untreated. That is because they are triggered by the stiffness and pain in the jaw transfers to the head as a tension headache. This will not go away until the cause of the headache, being the TMJ issue, is dealt with.
- Hearing problems: TMJ symptoms like pain, popping and clicking of the jaw can be transferred to the ears, causing earaches and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).This is because the TMJ and ears are very close together. Ear problems can disturb sleep and quality of life and will not resolve unless the TMJ is dealt with.
The symptoms of TMJ disorder are varied. Sometimes you can have a slight jaw clicking that is of no concern and doesn’t impact everyday life. However, persistent or chronic symptoms like the ones we have listed will need to be diagnosed by a professional. In this article we have explained how to cure TMJ permanently, and what contributes to successful outcomes. For further information on TMJ or any dental issue, contact the team at Hawthorn Road Family Dental.
