The upper and lower jaws (your maxilla and mandible) form the foundation of your mouth, and make eating, speaking, singing, and many other basic functions possible. These two essential bones hold your teeth in place and form the framework for your oral cavity. The lower jaw is connected to the skull through muscles and ligaments that help make movement possible.
The joint that allows that to happen, called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), is a hinge joint, and pain and discomfort in this area can limit normal function, making eating and speaking more difficult. Let’s help manage your dental health by identifying which problems can affect your jaw and how we can address them.
Oral problems in the East Village area of Manhattan, New York, including TMJ issues, can be managed by Dr. Adam Nusblatt and his dedicated staff at Nusblatt Dental.
The TMJ is a synovial joint. It connects your mandible to your skull and allows a range of different rotational and translational movements, formed by two components in the temporal bone: the articular tubercle and the mandibular fossa. It works with the intrinsic and extrinsic ligaments to help with various basic motions and the swinging hinge function of your lower jaw.
Additionally, the four main mastication muscles help the jaw operate: the masseter, the lateral and medial pterygoids, and the temporalis. Together, they help provide the mandible’s lateral deviation, protrusion, retraction, depression, and elevation movements.
The group of conditions affecting the TMJ, called TMJ disorders, can be caused by jaw injuries, arthritis, misaligned teeth (malocclusions), jaw tension from stress, and teeth grinding (bruxism). Several factors also increase the risks, including using your teeth as tools (e.g., opening bags, pulling on the edges of packages); chewing on pens, pencils, and ice; and poor posture.
This condition also comes with several common symptoms, such as face, neck, shoulder, or jaw pain, difficulty opening and closing your mouth, popping and clicking noises, tooth pain, earaches, ringing in the ears, headaches, and migraine attacks. These conditions often affect adults between 20 and 40, and as many as 12 million people in America have it.
Women are far more likely to have it (two times more than men), and while uncomfortable, these problems are treatable.
Managing pain and other symptoms from TMJ disorders ranges from mild options to various medical treatments for moderate-to-severe issues. In mild cases, minimizing inflammation with ice packs, eating softer foods, and easing stress can lessen problems. Moderate issues can be helped with Botox® injections, anti-inflammatory medications, and/or a stabilization splint.
Severe TMJ problems may need surgery, which can replace damaged or deteriorated nonfunctioning parts of the joint. A combination of methods can help deal with symptoms, or we may change from one method to another if the problems escalate.
TMJ disorders can be painful and limiting, but several options can help treat them, so schedule an appointment with Dr. Nusblatt and Nusblatt Dental today to find out what options are right for your needs.
