Seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can't open or close your jaw completely. Your doctor, your dentist or a TMJ specialist can discuss possible causes and treatments for your problem.
One of the first people to notice or diagnose a TMJ disorder is usually your dentist. However, your family physician, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, or an oral surgeon can also diagnose and treat your TMJ. Typically, your doctor will check your jaw joints for pain and tenderness.
Unless the condition becomes severe, TMJ disorder does not necessitate emergency dental care. If you have a locked jaw or are in a lot of pain, you should go to the emergency room. Serious jaw injuries and dislocations may also necessitate emergency dental care in the ER.
It depends on the severity of the underlying condition.
TMJ symptoms last anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. Some TMJ disorders can last months or years.
Myofascial pain dysfunction – This category includes the most commonly experienced TMJ disorders and is characterized by pain and discomfort in the jaw muscles, neck and head. Internal TMJ derangement – Internal derangement is the most serious category of TMJ disorders.
Anyone who's suffered from TMJ pain knows how debilitating it can be. While it may start with a little soreness at the temples or popping when you yawn, it can quickly progress into daily migraines, difficulty eating, and permanent damage to the teeth.
Untreated TMJ can cause constant tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, that can disrupt sleep and make it difficult to concentrate. Because our body's sense of balance is in the inner ears, the inflammation caused by TMJ disorder can impact balance as well, resulting in dizziness, unsteadiness, and vertigo.
Although it's very common to experience pain when you have TMJ, it becomes serious when this pain doesn't go away or if it becomes worse. If you're dealing with any sort of pain in your jaw or mouth, it's best to seek a medical professional for a checkup.
You may be able to manage these symptoms at home and they often get better on their own within a few months. But if you're worried about the pain or other symptoms, go and see your dentist to find out whether treatment could help.
TMJ syndrome refers to a disorder of the temporomandibular joint that connects the jaw to the rest of the skull. When this joint becomes irritated, inflamed, or otherwise compromised, the pain can become unbearable in a short period of time.
TMJ disorder has many symptoms that may start as intermittent pain and eventually lead to chronic pain that makes getting through the day seem impossible. You may experience tooth pain, earaches or stuffy ears, worn teeth, and headaches.
The 3 Finger Test
A quick and easy way to identify a possible case of Trismus is to place three of your fingers, stacked, between your upper and lower teeth, or dentures. If the mouth can open wide enough to accommodate them comfortably, then Trismus is unlikely to be a problem.
A variety of modalities can be used to image the TMJ, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), cone beam CT, ultrasonography, conventional radiography.
Is TMJ treatment covered by medicare? Medicare Part B covers TMJ treatment (even TMJ surgery) as long as it is performed by a qualified physician. If, however, your TMJ treatment falls into the category of pure dentistry, and not general healthcare, Medicare may not cover it.
Remember that for most people, discomfort from TMJ disorders will eventually go away on its own. Simple self-care practices are often effective in easing symptoms. If treatment is needed, it should be based on a reasonable diagnosis, be conservative and reversible, and be customized to your special needs.
Reasons Your Jaw Is Shifting
The conditions associated with TMJ – genetics, arthritis, injury, bruxism - can prevent the upper teeth from matching the lower teeth, which forces the jaw to shift its position. The shape and position of your teeth might also be causing your jaw to move out of place.
Living with TMJ disorders can be different from one person to the next. 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.
Temporomandibular joint disease, or TMJ, is a complex condition that often worsens over time. Typically caused by the misalignment of the teeth, TMJ can erode the joint capsule between the skull and the jawbone.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles that control jaw movement. “TMDs” refers to the disorders, and “TMJ” refers only to the temporomandibular joint itself. People have two TMJs; one on each side of the jaw.
The chronic form of TMJ, which isn't as common, is much more serious. "The concern with chronic TMJ dislocation is that eventually the tendons, muscles, cartilage and the AE become damaged, leading to arthritis, nerve damage and possibly, permanent dislocation," says Dr. Granquist.
Things that make TMJ dysfunction worse
Poor posture. (This can place excess pressure on your neck, shoulder and facial muscles.) Chewing on pens, pencils or other items (a common “nervous habit” behavior). Chewing on ice or excessively chewing gum.
You Should See a Dentist for TMJ Disorder
TMJ disorder is most often diagnosed and treated by a dentist. A dentist diagnoses and treats your oral health as a whole, which includes the jaw. Symptoms and problems related to the jaw also affect the health of your teeth in many cases, and vice versa.
While there are several reasons a patient can experience sudden or severe jaw pain, inflammation and overworked muscles tend to be the most common causes of TMJ flare-ups. Many physical changes and lifestyle habits can contribute to swelling around the joint and muscle tension.