Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint is a disease that affects a great many people, especially females from age 10 to 90.
Osteoarthritis. (degenerative joint disease), usually in people > 50 years. Occasionally, patients complain of stiffness, a grating sound on jaw movement, or mild pain. Crepitus may result from disk degeneration or perforation, causing bone to grate on bone.
They affect about 5–12% of the worldwide population. TMJ osteoarthritis may cause changes in the shape and functionality of the jaw, making daily activities, such as eating, painful. Treatment typically involves managing symptoms using conservative methods.
TMJ osteoarthritis affects the cartilage, subchondral bone, synovial membrane, and other hard and soft tissues causing changes such as TMJ remodeling, articular cartilage abrasion and deterioration [5, 6]. Osteoarthritis localized to the TMJ may also be a part of this generalized condition [7].
The most common age group to suffer from temporomandibular joint dysfunction is people — more women than men — from 20 to 40 years old. What is not well-understood, though, is that children can develop and experience the symptoms of TMJ dysfunction and that TMJ issues affect many seniors, too.
One can find a TMJ joint by placing a finger in the front of his/her ear by opening the mouth. Though, TMJ disorder could be treated one you must know the causes of the temporomandibular disorder (TMD). While there is no particular age to develop temporomandibular joint symptoms, anyone can suffer from TMD.
Various reasons a person may develop this condition include: Improper joint formation or growth. Lifestyle choices. Trauma to the jaw or surrounding area.
TMJ osteoarthritis should primarily be diagnosed by a healthcare professional through an assessment based on the patient's medical history, joint function, jaw sounds and pain level. The healthcare professional will also take risk factors into account and keep them in mind when establishing the diagnosis.
TMJ osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) is the result of disc dislocation, trauma, functional overburden, and developmental anomalies. TMJ OA affects all joint structures, including the articular cartilage, synovium, subchondral bone, capsule, ligaments, periarticular muscles, and sensory nerves that innervate the tissues.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis. This means that for anyone suffering from TMJ due to arthritis, there's also no cure for the TMJ disorder. An eroded disk or a connective tissue disease may similarly have no cure. However, there are steps you can take to manage your TMJ pain.
The treatment of osteoarthritis primarily consists of rest therapy (restricting jaw movements), the use of pharmaceuticals (analgesics, antiinflammatories), splint therapy, thermotherapy or mini-invasive therapy.
The final stage of the TMD refers to a transformation of the temporomandibular joint to an extent that its function is substantially decreased or even disabled due to disease or injury.
Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders may include: Pain or tenderness of your jaw. Pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints. Aching pain in and around your ear.
TMJ disorders are at least twice as prevalent in women as men, and women using either supplemental estrogen or oral contraceptives are more likely to seek treatment for these conditions.
Jaw discomfort or soreness (often most prevalent in the morning or late afternoon) Headaches. Pain spreading behind the eyes, in the face, shoulder, neck, and/or back. Earaches or ringing in the ears (not caused by an infection of the inner ear canal)
Symptoms worsen and ease over time, but what causes these changes is not known. Most people have relatively mild forms of the disorder. Their symptoms improve significantly, or disappear spontaneously, within weeks or months. For others, the condition causes long-term, persistent, and debilitating pain.
For some, TMJ may mean nothing more than an annoying click or an occasional twinge in the jaw. For others, it's the beginning of a lifelong challenge that causes constant disruption that affects all aspects of one's life.
Severe TMJ stemming from a dislocated jaw, or a dislocated disc may be resolved with oral appliances and, if needed, surgery. TMJ caused by arthritis typically can't be cured, as arthritis is a progressive, degenerative disease. But symptoms of TMJ due to arthritis can usually be successfully managed.
Jaw bone and cartilage changes due to arthritis may be seen on imaging tests such as an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI.
Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis
Having a physical exam to check your general health, reflexes, and problem joints. Having images taken of your joint using: X-rays, which can show loss of joint space, bone damage, bone remodeling, and bone spurs. Early joint damage does not usually appear on x-rays.
In addition, connective tissue disorders and autoimmune diseases that can affect the TMJs include: rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic condylar resorption, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythema, scleroderma, mixed connective tissue ...
Other Causes of Jaw and Facial Pain: Certain other conditions including facial trauma, an abscessed tooth, or herpes zoster (shingles) can also cause pain similar to symptoms of TMJ disorder.
One common cause of TMJ is a jaw injury. But TMJ doesn't necessarily develop right after the injury. It can take years to manifest itself. Here's why your TMJ might happen years after the accident that caused it.
Depending on where you have the most pressure, inflammation, and nasal congestion within the nasal cavities, this can cause one-sided jaw pain. Jaw pain on one side can also result from a sinus infection that has spread beyond the sinus cavity. Another source of one-sided jaw pain is complex dental issues.