Just like any other joint in the body, the Tmj suseptible to injuries to the ligaments and tendons. Without this joint working properly it can become difficult or painful to chew food. Furthermore, it can be an indicator of a large medical concern.
What most people would refer to as simply the jaw joint is medically known as the temporomandibular joint or TMJ. This joint seems to get very little attention, when it is actually one of the most important joints in the body because it aids in proper chewing and overall oral health. Without this joint working properly it can become difficult or painful to chew food. Furthermore, it can be an indicator of a large medical concern.
Just like any other joint in the body, the Tmj suseptible to injuries to the ligaments and tendons, which keeps the joint working effectively. Consequently, there are a number of disorders that can affect the function the temporomandibular joint, causing acute or chronic inflammation These Besides difficulty chewing, there are a number of symptoms that could indicate an issue with the TMJ joint; and some are not as obvious. For instance, migraines or earaches, especially in the morning, are an indicator of a TMJ disorder. This can be due to unconscious jaw clenching and teeth grinding while sleep, this is known as Bruxism. Likewise, this unconscious grinding can cause clicking or popping of the jaw, which is not a normal movement for any joint. There are other causes of a TMJ disorder including degenerative disease, unusual chewing habits, and trauma.
When there is an issue or concern with the temporomandibular joint, diagnosing the cause may require visits with both a dentist and a medical doctor. This is because symptoms like migraines or earaches have a number of causes. For instance, a patient with chronic migraines caused by bruxism may originally see a neurologist because the chronic headaches are a more obvious symptom than a sore jaw. Therefore, a neurologist may sometimes refer their patient to a dentist to eliminate bruxism or a TMJ disorder. For older patients who are prone to degenerative joint diseases or osteoarthritis, a check-up with the dentist can help catch the early signs of these type of disorders. A geriatric dentist is especially trained to check for these symptoms. A slight click or pop of the jaw can be one of the first indicator of disease, and from there the dentist can refer their patient to another specialist who can treat arthritis and other degenerative diseases. For patients who have severely injured their jaw joint, there are dental specialists who can reconstruct the tendons and ligaments. A maxillofacial surgeon is specially trained in oral surgery. More particularly, this type of dentist will be responsible for restoring function to an injured temporomandibular joint.
A pop or click of the jaw should not be ignored. Although it may seem harmless, this is just one symptom of a large umbrella of disorders of the jaw.
