What is TMJ & TMD?
TMJ is Temporomandibular joint and TMD is Temporomandibular joint disorder. Therefore everybody has TMJ that is how we open and close our mouth. TMD is the disorder with TMJ.
How is the jaw joint different to other joints?
The jaw joint is the most forgotten joint in the body. Everybody cares for their knees, elbows and neck but when it comes to jaw joints, they only seek treatment when they cannot open their mouth or when they really have severe jaw pain.
It is a very tricky joint as it is the only joint that does two different movements, rotation, and translation. No other joint in the body has that capability.
What causes TMD?
It depends you have to discern the cause, what is going on with the joints and why the joints are not aligned. Most of the facts and causes we see are due to disc displacement.
This could be due to laceration or laxity of the ligaments the discs start beginning to get unstable and start moving out of place. You start hearing the clicking popping sounds that may be accompanied by pain or maybe not.
Jaw joint disorder is a very tricky one as it goes through a lot of stages and it changes its symptoms and manifestations all throughout.
Does it go undetected?
You can have a jaw issue and live with it for years and it goes undiscovered. And you only seek treatment because you either cannot chew anymore or you are having ear pain.
Dr. Alkhoury’s office is equipped with the latest technologies to further diagnose TMJ problems, direct non-surgical treatment, and monitor treatment progress for maximum results. Consult him today.