You have a hidden joint known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) located in front of your ear which allows you to open your jaw. This joint controls your lower jaw so you can eat, laugh, speak, and yawn with ease. However, if this joint is functioning improperly, every day activities become unbearable.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
When your body is hurting, it communicates that pain to your brain in different ways. For example, when your mouth is suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), you may experience these distress signals:
- Difficulty chewing
- Decreased range of motion of the jaw
- Headaches, earaches, and neck aches
- Jaw pain
- Clicking sound when opening and closing your mouth
If you have any of these symptoms, please contact us at 706-549-5033 for relief!
What Causes TMD?
There are different events that could cause this joint to stop functioning properly, such as whiplash, getting hit in the mouth, teeth grinding, or sleep apnea.
Three Treatments for TMD
Without treatment, time will increase the pain from TMD. Unfortunately, there is not an exact cause of TMD which makes treatment strictly a case-to-case basis. We provide three treatments to alleviate the pain depending on the patient’s needs.
- Medication: Through the use of pain relievers, muscle relaxants, sedatives, or tricyclic antidepressants, we aim to eliminate your pain.
- Therapy: Through stress management techniques, physical therapy, or oral splints, we have seen therapy counteract the pain brought on by TMD.
- Surgery and other procedures: If your TMD is a severe case, injections, arthrocentesis, or surgery may be the solution.
Do I Have TMD?
TMD affects millions of Americans every year. If you are unsure if you have this disorder, a simple test can help you determine the status of this key joint.
Place your finger over the TMJ (located in front of your earlobe). Slowly open your jaw all the way until it moves completely from where your fingers are located.
If you felt pain or heard a clicking noise, you may have TMD.