Let’s Learn about TMJ Disorders on TMJ Awareness Month
Your temporomandibular joint is the most important in your body, with a sliding hinge on both sides of your skull to allow speech, eating, and actions that require you to open and close the lower jaw. Unfortunately, many people are affected by TMJ disorders on one or both sides of the jaw, causing inflammation. In addition, the condition causes a painful issue called TMJ disorder among people affected.
November is designated as TMJ awareness month to increase awareness of this severe degenerative condition. To help raise awareness of this significant month, the dentist in Burney, CA, offers this disorder overview. In addition, they discuss the reality of TMJ disorders to help you recognize the symptoms.
TMJ Disorders Explained
TMJ disorders or conditions cause patients to live with persistent discomfort and pain around their temporomandibular joint. When understanding this disorder, you must understand the joints connecting your lower jaw to your skull.
The temporomandibular joints at the skull’s base function like sliding hinges to enable your lower jaw to open and close comfortably. However, the network of muscles, bones and connective tissue supporting the jawbone remains delicate.
Improper function of the joints due to poor alignment of the jawbone results in a condition called TMD. Fortunately, the jaw disorder is effectively treated when working with a professional like the Burney dentist. Various therapies help manage TMJ disorders which occasionally disappear without treatment. Surgery is also an option, although considered a last resort.
What Is TMJ Awareness Month?
TMJ awareness month 2022 arrives in November this year, but patients affected by TMJ disorders must endure this debilitating condition throughout the year. Patients waking up with mild to moderate jaw pain might already have the early stages of this degenerative disorder. Unfortunately, the symptoms worsen progressively for most people.
When you seek treatment for TMJ disorders from dentists using various therapies they offer, they can restore your quality of life to leave you smiling without discomfort. TMJ awareness month looks to educate you on the symptoms and work with program participants, including dentists, maxillofacial surgeons, and members of the medical fraternity, to provide relief from this condition that impacts your quality of life.
What Is the Most Common Disorder of TMJ?
The most common disorder of TMJ is pain and discomfort because improper positioning of the jaws causes the pain to radiate to the face or ears. You might notice the condition when eating or trying to open and close your mouth.
Even when the disorder isn’t causing severe discomfort, you might confront challenges opening your jaw comfortably or hear clicking sounds or popping sensation when you can open your jaw entirely. In addition, you might notice that you’re jaw is restricted in its range of motion.
Occasionally the symptoms of TMJ disorders disappear by themselves without treatment or even by receiving orthodontic treatment. For example, people with bruxism generally experience discomfort with their jaw, although bruxism is not responsible for TMJ disorders. Therefore people with jaw discomfort find it beneficial to schedule appointments with the Burney dentist to determine whether they need TMJ disorder treatment to overcome the persistent pain they experience.
What Therapies Help Ease TMJ Disorders?
When seeking pain relief for TMJ disorders, you require a comprehensive exam at the dentist’s office to evaluate your symptoms. Depending on your specific condition, the dentist explicitly creates a treatment plan to help you find relief from the problem. TMJ disorder therapies might include pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and antianxiety medications at low doses to address the situation.
If you are affected by bruxism or teeth grinding, the dentist recommends treatment with customized night guards to prevent your teeth from contacting each other. If the bruxism emanates from stress, you might receive a recommendation to treat the underlying cause of action using meditation and exercise.
If you have misaligned teeth and improper prosthetics, you might find help from orthodontic treatments to straighten your teeth and align your jaw. You also receive support from therapists teaching you to exercise your jaw and relax it to prevent pain from the condition.
Surgery is also an option to address TMJ disorders but is often considered a last resort, although it provides dramatic relief from the problem.
TMJ awareness month in November 2022 is to make you aware of this uncomfortable condition and to address the pain affecting you to improve your quality of life. If you intend to participate in the program and are affected by jaw pain, kindly establish contact with Fall River Valley Dental, who can help you understand this disorder can provide relief from the condition.