TMJ or The Temporomandibular Joint are the two joints which connect the lower jaw to the temporal bone at the side of the head. If you place your fingers just in front of your ears and open your mouth, you can feel the joint on each side of the head.
Because these joints are flexible, the jaw can move smoothly up and down and side to side, enabling us to talk, chew and yawn. When the TMJ is not functioning normally and it is not within its physiological limits, it creates a condition called TMD.

TMD or Temporomandibular Dysfunction, is a group of conditions resulting from not having a normal function or 'comfortable' positioning of the TMJ, and will present as a cycle of pain, muscle spasms and jaw problems.

When teeth are missing, out of alignment, crowded or misshaped, chewing and biting can not be achieved in a balanced way, so the TMJ and the muscles of chewing try to compensate for this unbalanced movement which results in symptoms that will confirm the presence of TMD.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is not just a disorder, but a group of conditions, often painful, that affect the jaw joint or Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) and the muscles that control chewing.

TMD falls into three main categories:
1. Myofascial pain, the most common form of TMD, which is discomfort or pain in the muscles that control jaw functions and the neck and shoulder muscles.
2. Internal derangement of the joint meaning a dislocated or displaced disc or injury to the condyle (the rounded part at the end of the jaw bone).
3. Degenerative joint disease such as Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis in the jaw joint.

TMD symptoms may include:

1. Headaches, migraines or tension headaches
2. Worn or loose teeth
3. Painful muscles in the neck and shoulders (muscle spasms)
4. Pain behind the eyes.
5. Clicking and popping of the jaw joint (TMJ)
6. Locked jaw or restriction in opening or closing the mouth
7. Earaches or a clogging feeling in the ears
8. Tingling or numbness in the hands and the fingertips

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please call our office and we will be happy to discuss your symptoms, and talk about the possible treatments available for your situation.

There are many causes for TMD such as:

1. Unbalanced occlusion or 'Bad Bite'
2. Stress (emotional or work/school related)
3. Injury or trauma (this could have been an injury as obvious as a blow to the jaw with a fist or something as subtle as a whiplash injury with direct trauma to the head or jaw.)
4. Teeth grinding or Bruxism

A 'Bad Bite' could be caused by any of the following:

1. Missing teeth
2. Crowded or 'crooked' teeth
3. Worn down teeth
4. Old crowns and bridges
5. Unbalanced dentures

When teeth are missing, or out of alignment, it causes the jaw to shift positions and the muscles to work harder to chew, swallow, bite, etc. and eventually will cause: muscle spasms, tension and pain.

Muscle tension and misplaced TMJ could cause the TMJ disc to be pulled out of place which will result in pain, clicking and popping in the TMJ.

If the disc is displaced for a long time, the bones will start rubbing against each other and some damage will happen to the bone, this is called Osteoarthritis.

If there is inflammation in other joints or bones of the body, it is called Osteoarthritis (Arthritis) which may involve the jaw bone and the TMJ. Some damage to the bone may be evident on the x-rays.

If you suffer from frequent head or facial pain, an incorrect bite may be the cause due to constant cranial muscle strain.

Headaches from dental stress are a type of muscle tension headache. A tension headache may be on one or both sides of your head and feels like a dull, non-throbbing ache that can usually be relieved by aspirin.

When you swallow, your upper and lower jaw muscles must hold your jaw firmly against the skull. Between swallowing over 2,000 times a day and a poorly aligned bite, the jaw muscles can overwork causing muscle strain which in turn leads to a headache.

People who suffer from migraine pain and chronic headaches clench their jaws in a balanced, centered position. This causes extremely intense muscular contraction, but little strain on the jaw.

Nighttime jaw clenching usually goes unnoticed but it sets the stage for migraine pain and chronic headache pain.

Simple cases of TMJ can be treated with anti inflammatory medications and hot/moist compress.

Treatment for more complex cases includes the fabrication of an orthotic. The orthotic is designed to reposition the jaw to the correct neuromuscular position.

Once this position has been established, definitive treatment can include orthodontics or reconstruction of the bite.

Bite splints (plates) are effective in relieving TMD symptoms.

A bite splint provides an acrylic platform to bite against. Some bite plates move the mandible to a new position.

Generally, splints are worn part-time and for most people night time seems to be the best time to wear them.

The NTI-TSS System is a type of mouth guard that is placed on the patient's upper teeth. This lets the lower jaw rest in its proper place and causes the teeth to subside from being able to clench together.

If you experience chronic headaches, please ask your doctor because the NTI-TSS System could work for you.