TMJ

Temporomandibular Joint Healthiness Quiz
Please answer yes or no.

1. Do you avoid eating hard foods?
2. Do you have frequent headaches?
3. Does your jaw joint click or pop when you open or close your mouth?
4. Do you experience ear problems such as stuffiness or ear pain?
5. Do you have problems with dizziness or being disorientated?
6. Do you have neckaches or shoulder pain?
7. Has your jaw ever locked open?
8. Do your teeth hurt when you wake up?
9. Does yawning hurt your jaw joint?

If you have answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may have Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD). For TMD treatment, it is essential to start with a proper diagnosis. If you experience any of these TMD symptoms, we advise you to schedule a clinical exam to determine the extent of the problem and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.

WHAT IS TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ)?
The temporomandibular joints, or TMJs, are the two joints that connect your lower jaw (mandible) to your skull. You can feel these two joints if you place your fingertips in front of your ears and open and close your mouth. The TMJs consist of bone, cartilage, and ligament attached to muscle to allow jaw movement. Each joint has a small cartilage disc which serves as a cushion, allowing smooth jaw movement. The TMJ is a complex system of muscles, bones, and joints that works in unison to allow chewing, yawning, singing, and talking, singing.

CAUSES OF TMD
There are several ways the complex TMJ system can be disrupted and cause TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction), such as trauma or a blow to the face, connective disorders (arthritis) or skeletal malformation (posture). TMD is also known as CMD (Craniomandibular Disorder) and CPD (Craniofacial Pain Disorder)
A major cause of TMD relates to your teeth and your bite. A bad bite (malocclusion) results from a missing tooth, misaligned teeth or back teeth that are too short. Malocclusion causes your upper and lower teeth to align improperly, so that they cannot correctly brace and support your jaw. When this occurs for an extended period of time, the body begins to compensate for malocclusion by involving neck, throat, upper back, arms, and/or pelvic muscles, ultimately affecting your posture. Proper bite alignment will prevent muscle fatigue and facial pain.