Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)

    CHICAGO, IL, November 14, 2008 /24-7PressRelease/ -- TMD is a misaligned jaw joint, and the misaligned bite that goes along with that. You can feel the jaw joint if you place a finger in front of your ear and open your mouth. It is a delicate ball-and-socket joint which allows up-and-down movement for chewing and talking, sideways movement, and forward-and-back movement. All this range of motion presents many opportunities for pain and dysfunction to be introduced.

Symptoms of TMD

• Chronic and severe headaches, often referred to as migraines
• Pain and tenderness of the jaw area
• Earaches
• Tinnitus (ringing of the ears)
• Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint
• Limited range of jaw motion
• Face and neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Tingling in the fingers
• Premature wear and tear on the teeth

The most frequent symptom is headaches, and people often come to our office after having seen a series of doctors and taken a series of medications, to no effect. Effective treatments will have to address the TMD causes, rather than just the symptoms such as headaches.

Causes of TMD
The causes are not fully understood. Each case of TMD is individual, with a unique cluster of symptoms and relative strengths of symptoms.
• Bruxism (tooth grinding)
• Malocclusion - a misaligned bite, which can either cause or be caused by misaligned teeth
• Misaligned teeth, which over time can throw the jaw joint out of alignment
• Rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammation of the joint
• A blow to the side of the head
• Genetic factors, such as a particularly small mouth

Diagnosis
One of our LVI graduate dentists will meet with you and listen to what you say. He will also examine your teeth, bite, gums, jaw joint, posture, and ask many questions. We have some diagnostic equipment which will gather detailed information on three things:
• Your jaw muscle activity
• The sounds in your jaw joint
• Jaw movements

This data will tell your dentist a lot about your jaw joint and how far it is from being in its natural position. The goal of your treatment will be to make the natural, relaxed jaw position permanent. That will eliminate the painful symptoms.

Possible Treatments
Since each case of TMD is individual, so is each treatment. We will plan it with you, and it could include any of these things:
• Changes in some personal habits such as gum chewing
• A dental orthotic - to be worn temporarily, for retraining the jaw muscles or for reducing tooth grinding
• Dental work such as recontouring or repositioning some teeth to make your bite smoother
• Orthodontics may be indicated if your teeth are severely misaligned and wearing each other down

Many people have TMD but don't realize it. Not every doctor will identify it and refer you to a neuromuscular dentist. Not every dentist is a neuromuscular dentist. Special post-graduate dental training is required for a dentist to be able to diagnose and treat TMD. Choose a dentist who has graduated from the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, the premier school for post-graduate dental education, both theoretical and hands-on.

Contact Dr. David Dooley of Colonial Dental Group for more information regarding TMJ treatment options.

Source: Colonial Dental Group
Website: http://www.colonialdentalgroup.com

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