While an estimated 10 million people in the US suffer from TMJ problems, many of these people go undiagnosed and untreated, living with extreme pain for years. When symptoms first start, they might be mild or come and go. Also, people might not associate their ear pain or headaches with TMD.
Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
Headaches
Did you know that headaches are a common symptom of Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)? In fact, 80% of people with TMD suffer from headaches.
Clicking & Popping
Did you know that clicking or popping in your jaw is not normal? It indicates that your articular disc – the cartridge that cushions your jaw joint -slides or dislocates in and out of place.
Jaw Locking
Jaw lock happens when your articular disc slips forward and blocks jaw movement. Jaw lock is often preceded by a period of jaw “catching” – momentary inability to open or close. This symptom needs to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent permanent joint damage.
Jaw Pain
Jaw pain is a common symptom of TMJ disorders. It is important to understand where the pain is coming from- joint, muscle, ligament, nerve, or blood vessels.
Ear Pain
Ear pain is another common symptom of TMJ disorders. Many patients are treated unnecessarily for ear infections only to discover later that the pain was coming from the jaw joint or muscles.
Chronic pain and lack of proper sleep robs people of the ability to enjoy life, negatively impacts relationships, work, and contributes to poor health. There is nothing more rewarding to me as a medical professional than to be able to help patients and restore their quality of life.
Dr. Tanya Kushner
Live a Pain Free Life
Good news there is relief
The temporomandibular joint connects your lower jaw to your upper. When there is a problem with this joint, it is known as TMD, or temporomandibular joint disorder. The excruciating pain that occurs when speaking or eating is due to an inflammation of the joint.
TMD can be caused by a number of conditions such as trauma or injury to the joint, clenching or grinding the teeth, bite misalignments, and arthritis just to name a few. Regardless of the root cause, however, TMD can cause discomfort and at times, severe pain.
How TMD affects the nation
10,000,000
Americans are affected by TMD*
90%
of TMD patients are female*
50%
of TMD sufferers don’t seek treatment*
17,800,000
days of work are lost to TMD annually*
