Shedding light on a debilitating joint disorder
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) occurs when the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is the joint that connects your mandible (jawbone) to your temporal bone (skull), experiences dysfunction for a variety of different reasons, the most common being disc displacement.
These joints are responsible for allowing you to open your jaw to do things such as chew, swallow, speak, and yawn.
I first noticed symptoms of TMD in my second year of university. Of course, I had no idea what TMD was at the time, although I had noticed that my jaw clicked every time I chewed food. There was no pain, but the clicking felt odd and kind of just came out of nowhere.
Sometime later that year, I began experiencing jaw pain. The pain was nowhere near where it is now, but I did notice that my jaw ached in the morning, and that I couldn’t chew gum for more than a few minutes. The light clicking sound was replaced by a disturbing crunching noise, which made it hard to bite into apples and other hard foods. I also worked a few retail jobs, and by the end of a long shift of talking and smiling with customers, I could barely move my mouth, and my jaw was tender to the touch.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…after experiencing trauma to the jaw…[/pullquote]
I decided to take these symptoms to my dentist, and after examining my teeth she explained to me that these are early symptoms of TMD, and that I would need to start wearing a night guard. Apparently I had been grinding my teeth in my sleep, which has been attributed to intensifying symptoms of TMD. My dentist explained that overnight teeth grinding and jaw clenching are associated with tension in the jaw muscles, which is in turn associated with stress.
Many people develop TMD after experiencing trauma to the jaw, years of grinding or clenching of teeth, as well as neck and back pain. Symptoms may vary, but they can include pain and tenderness in and around the ear, jaw joint, jaw muscles, face and/or temples; lockjaw (not to be confused with Tetanus); trouble opening and closing the mouth; a clicking, popping, grinding, or crunching noise and sensation when opening your mouth; as well as headaches and migraines.
For the past two years after being given the night guard, I have been back and forth between oral surgeons and dentists with excruciating, oftentimes debilitating, jaw pain. Very little is known about TMD, and as a result, there are few options. The surgery involved is very invasive and not recommended by most specialists, considering that there’s a large chance that it’ll actually make things worse. Most TMD treatments, such as acupuncture, facial massages, jaw stretches, and the use of night guards to hinder grinding, are meant for temporary relief.
TMD is most often found in young adults in their early 20s, particularly in females. If any of the symptoms discussed in this article relate to you, the best way to keep things from escalating is by visiting your doctor or dentist. Like most health issues, catching TMD in its early stages can hinder its development and save you more pain in the long run.