What Is TMJ?
The temporomandibular joint connects your skull and jaw. Temporomandibular joint disorders are an umbrella term for many disorders affecting the jaw system and other parts of the body that work with the jaw. There are many different types of TMJ, but the three most common are:
- Myofascial pain disorder (MPD): This occurs when overworked or displaced jaw muscles cause pain and dysfunction that can spread to other systems. This is by far the most common type of TMJ.
- Disc displacement (DD): Occurs when the cushioning disc in the jaw joint slips out of place. This causes popping and clicking of the jaw, can lead to irregular jaw motion, and may even cause the jaw to lock in place.
- Degenerative joint disease (DJD): This is when a condition causes the cushioning disc in the jaw joint to break down, leading to poor jaw function and jaw pain.
It is common to have multiple types of TMJ at the same time.
TMJ Symptoms
TMJ causes many symptoms that can affect most of the body. These widespread symptoms can make the condition challenging to live with but also make it a challenge to diagnose. Doctors often overlook symptoms or fail to connect them. Some TMJ symptoms people report include:
- Jaw pain
- Worn, chipped, or cracked teeth
- Bite that feels off
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or hearing loss
- Dizziness and vertigo
- Popping or clicking on the jaw
- Irregular jaw motion
- Limited jaw motion or locked jaw
- Neck pain
- Shoulder and upper back pain
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers
- Jaw pain
- Worn, chipped, or cracked teeth
- Bite that feels off
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or hearing loss
- Dizziness and vertigo
- Popping or clicking on the jaw
- Irregular jaw motion
- Limited jaw motion or locked jaw
- Neck pain
- Shoulder and upper back pain
See our TMJ symptoms page to learn about more symptoms and how this condition can cause such widespread effects.
TMJ Diagnosis
Before starting treatment to eliminate your jaw pain successfully, we must determine that TMJ is the cause. One of the tools we use to diagnose TMJ is heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is a measure of how stressed your body is. When your body isn’t stressed, your autonomic nervous system (ANS) can focus resources on your heart rate, providing adequate variability to meet the body’s constantly changing demands. When the body is stressed, stress hormones increase, and HRV decreases. Numerous studies show that HRV is low and stress hormones are high in people with TMJ.
We can track your HRV while changing your jaw position to determine if you have significant TMJ. If changing your jaw position affects your HRV, you would benefit from TMJ treatment. We will keep moving your jaw to determine the position where your HRV reaches a healthy, normal amount. This jaw position results in the lowest stress on your body, which can relieve TMJ symptoms.
How Can We Help You?
How Can We Help You?
TMJ Treatment
Once we determine the ideal position for your jaw, our Erie, PA dentist will order an oral appliance–sometimes called a bite splint–to hold your jaw in the position of maximum rest and minimum stress. This will relieve stress not only on your jaw and jaw muscles but also on connected systems like the ear, the head, the neck, and more.
You’ll notice the difference immediately when you start wearing your bite splint. Jaw pain, headaches, ear symptoms, and more will decline, gradually getting less severe. Many patients will see these symptoms disappear or diminish, so they aren’t bothersome.
You will start wearing your bite splint all day except when you eat or clean your teeth. As you get relief, you might be able to reduce wear to just at night or just on some nights.
Get Relief from TMJ-Related Pain
You don’t have to keep suffering from TMJ symptoms. Let expert TMJ dentist Dr. John H. Tucker help. Please call (814) 836-7777 for an appointment at Tucker Dental Excellence in Erie, PA.
