Understanding TMD Disorder
You may have heard your dentist or your doctor talk about TMD. TMD stands for temporomandibular disorder and, although it may be something that you have heard of, there are not a lot of people that understand TMD symptoms or even the cause of temporomandibular disorder.
You may have also heard of TMJ, and this is often mistaken for TMD. TMJ refers to the joint itself, and not the pain causing disorder.
What is Temporomandibular Disorder?
Temporomandibular disorder jaw pain can start with no apparent or specific cause but, sometimes, it can result after a trauma, accident or any other type of blow to the face
Temporomandibular disorder involves the joints in the jaw, the muscles that control the way that the jaw moves and the dental occlusion. The jaw works with the skull and the muscles that move the jaw to ensure that individuals can chew and move their jaw without incurring any type of pain.
If an imbalance ensues, an individual will start to experience muscle fatigue, spasms in these muscles and even joint dysfunction. This can result in changes in the teeth and the symptoms can even be unique for each person that experiences TMD pain.
TMD Disorder Causes
The causes of TMD jaw pain are still generally unknown. They can start with no apparent or specific cause but, sometimes, they result after a trauma, accident or any other type of blow to the face where contact is made with the jaw or even with the mouth.
Sometimes a trauma does not have to be something big but rather a repeated trauma like clenching your teeth or even biting on nails. Some people start experiencing their symptoms when they are stressed while other people start to feel the pain at random times.
Treating Temporomandibular Disorder
When you start to experience these problems you may want to talk to your doctor or dentist about any problems that you may have with your bite. Some symptoms can be a result of your jaw not lining up properly and your jaw bone experiencing more stress.
Working with a doctor or dentist early on is a great way to ensure that the appropriate treatment is utilized. Being treated early and taking time to seek the right form of treatment can avoid the progress of TMD disorder to ensure that it does not become a source of constant or chronic pain.
If you start to experience TMD symptoms, you want to make sure that you have a thorough exam conducted. As the doctor or dentist goes through your mouth and examines what is causing your symptoms, you can be sure that the correct treatment plan is taken care of.
If you start to experience headaches, ear pain or even your ability to move your jaw properly you should make an appointment with your health care specialist immediately. They will be able to evaluate any medical problems that can be causing these symptoms, but it is often diagnosed as TMD disorder.
This can be a very painful and energy consuming jaw pain disorder and while working on making things better, your doctors should be working with you and listening to you. The more that they listen and respond to what happens, the easier it will be to find a treatment plan that is going to relive you of your pain.
TMD pain may be difficult to deal with, but there may also be an end in sight. Finding ways to develop a specific temporomandibular disorder treatment plan with your health care professional will be the first step to finding some relief.
