Doctors face variety of factors in treating TMJ

A self-described fan of bubblegum, Norma Pelt has paid a high price for her love of this kind of “the bubbly” over the years.

Along with dizzy spells and a constant pain in her jaw, she said, repetitive chewing triggered powerful headaches, especially at night.

“It’s been very painful,” she said, describing her condition, which began 15 years ago, and was only recently diagnosed, during a flare-up, as a temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder.

The umbrella term refers to a group of conditions that cause varying degrees of pain and dysfunction in and around the temporomandibular jaw joint and the muscles that control their movement on each side of the head.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates about 10 million Americans have symptoms associated with these disorders, with 5 percent to 15 percent, like Pelt, experiencing the most common ones: pain and restricted jaw movement, often accompanied by a clicking or popping sound.

Women in their reproductive years are now considered nine times more likely to develop a TMJ disorder than men — a finding reshaping traditional assumptions about the causes lying behind these conditions, according to Dr. Christian Stohler, dean of the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, Md.

“A lot has changed on the TMJ front in the last 15 years,” he says. “Today, we realize this is a highly complex disease involving many genes, hormones and a myriad of complex biologic factors.”

Although a number of existing treatments bring pain relief for most patients, Stohler says, they do not deal with the underlying disease process, a complex interplay of biologic factors that go beyond a misalignment of teeth or bite problems, once held solely responsible for these disorders.

They include genetic differences in pain perception or how an individual responds to pain, and the frequent presence of other painful conditions, such as fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis, among others, which may mask or modify the symptoms of a TMJ problem.

“Most of these cases do resolve on their own, but some people suffer for years,” Stohler said. “And the more severe the case, the greater the likelihood that TMJ will coexist with other medical problems.”

In Pelt’s case, her jaw condition is moderate, according to her dentist, Dr. Michelle Dorsey, a solo practitioner on Merritt Island, Fla., who is centering treatment around a computer-guided sensing device, made by Tekscan. It replaces the old “tap, tap” articulation papers used to measure and assess a patient’s bite and how teeth touch, or occlude.

“It tells me which tooth is hitting which tooth and with what force over time,” says Dorsey — critical information to “occlusal equilibration,” the treatment’s ultimate goal, once the joints have been stabilized and the tissue inflammation quelled.

As part of her therapy, Pelt wears a customized splint at night.

The splint doesn’t just protect the teeth from being worn or cracked, Dorsey said, but it takes the pressure off the closing muscles in the mouth so they can relax and lengthen over time, allowing the joint to sit comfortably in the socket without pain.

“This is a process that takes time,” she says, with patients typically coming in for an hour once a week, possibly for many months. “It’s similar to physical therapy when you sprain your leg.”

As a dentist on the front lines, Dorsey said, she became interested in the jaw-pain disorders when she began developing her own problem, in which her teeth began to shift unexpectedly, leaving open areas of contact in her mouth.

Although she had no pain, she said, she had problems with food lodging in her teeth, which became “very annoying.”

So she decided to learn more about TMJ, studying “occlusion training” at the Dawson Academy in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she also underwent treatment, and a 25-month course at the University of Florida.

“I’ve seen about an 80 percent improvement in my own case, so far,” Dorsey says.

Pelt, too, said the subtle changes in her mouth during the past few months have begun to ease the pain, although she did not put a percentage on how much.

“I’m not waking up with headaches any more and the dizziness has gone away,” says Pelt, who works in a day care center in Rockledge. “Since coming here, I’ve been much better.”

-- Cure Your TMJ Now --

TMJ difficult to cure

A self-described fan of bubblegum, Norma Pelt has paid a high price for her love of this kind of “the bubbly” over the years.

Along with dizzy spells and a constant pain in her jaw, she said, repetitive chewing triggered powerful headaches, especially at night.

“It’s been very painful,” she said, describing her condition, which began 15 years ago, and was only recently diagnosed, during a flare-up, as a temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder.

The umbrella term refers to a group of conditions that cause varying degrees of pain and dysfunction in and around the temporomandibular jaw joint and the muscles that control their movement on each side of the head.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates about 10 million Americans have symptoms associated with these disorders, with 5 percent to 15 percent, like Pelt, experiencing the most common ones: pain and restricted jaw movement, often accompanied by a clicking or popping sound.

Women in their reproductive years are now considered nine times more likely to develop a TMJ disorder than men - a finding reshaping traditional assumptions about the causes lying behind these conditions, according to Dr. Christian Stohler, dean of the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, Md.

“A lot has changed on the TMJ front in the last 15 years,” he says. “Today, we realize this is a highly complex disease involving many genes, hormones and a myriad of complex biologic factors.”
Problems pair with TMJ

Although a number of existing treatments bring pain relief for most patients, Stohler says, they do not deal with the underlying disease process, a complex interplay of biologic factors that go beyond a misalignment of teeth or bite problems, once held solely responsible for these disorders.

They include genetic differences in pain perception or how an individual responds to pain, and the frequent presence of other painful conditions, such as fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis, among others, which may mask or modify the symptoms of a TMJ problem.

“Most of these cases do resolve on their own, but some people suffer for years,” Stohler said. “And the more severe the case, the greater the likelihood that TMJ will coexist with other medical problems.”

In Pelt’s case, her jaw condition is moderate, according to her dentist, Dr. Michelle Dorsey, a solo practitioner on Merritt Island, Fla., who is centering treatment around a computer-guided sensing device, made by Tekscan. It replaces the old “tap, tap” articulation papers used to measure and assess a patient’s bite and how teeth touch, or occlude.

“It tells me which tooth is hitting which tooth and with what force over time,” says Dorsey - critical information to “occlusal equilibration,” the treatment’s ultimate goal, once the joints have been stabilized and the tissue inflammation quelled.

As part of her therapy, Pelt wears a customized splint at night.

The splint doesn’t just protect the teeth from being worn or cracked, Dorsey said, but it takes the pressure off the closing muscles in the mouth so they can relax and lengthen over time, allowing the joint to sit comfortably in the socket without pain.

“This is a process that takes time,” she says, with patients typically coming in for an hour once a week, possibly for many months. “It’s similar to physical therapy when you sprain your leg.”
Firsthand experience

As a dentist on the front lines, Dorsey says, she became interested in jaw-pain disorders when she began developing her own problem, in which her teeth began to shift unexpectedly, leaving open areas of contact in her mouth.

Although she had no pain, she said, she had problems with food lodging in her teeth, which became “very annoying.”

So she decided to learn more about TMJ, studying “occlusion training” at the Dawson Academy in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she also underwent treatment, and a 25-month course at the University of Florida.

“I’ve seen about an 80 percent improvement in my own case, so far,” Dorsey says.

Pelt, too, said the subtle changes in her mouth during the past few months have begun to ease the pain, although she did not put a percentage on how much.

“I’m not waking up with headaches anymore and the dizziness has gone away,” says Pelt, who works in a day-care center in Rockledge. “Since coming here, I’ve been much better.”

-- Cure Your TMJ Today --

Doctors study new ways to treat TMJ

A self-described fan of bubble gum, Norma Pelt has paid a high price for her love of this kind of “the bubbly” over the years.

Along with dizzy spells and a constant pain in her jaw, she said, repetitive chewing triggered powerful headaches, especially at night.

“It’s been very painful,” she said, describing her condition, which began 15 years ago, and was only recently diagnosed, during a flare-up, as a temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder.

The umbrella term refers to a group of conditions that cause varying degrees of pain and dysfunction in and around the temporomandibular jaw joint and the muscles that control their movement on each side of the head.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates about 10 million Americans have symptoms associated with these disorders, with 5 percent to 15 percent, like Pelt, experiencing the most common ones: pain and restricted jaw movement, often accompanied by a clicking or popping sound.

Women in their reproductive years are now considered nine times more likely to develop a TMJ disorder than men - a finding reshaping traditional assumptions about the causes lying behind these conditions, according to Dr. Christian Stohler, dean of the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore.

“A lot has changed on the TMJ front in the last 15 years,” he says. “Today, we realize this is a highly complex disease involving many genes, hormones and a myriad of complex biologic factors.”

Although a number of existing treatments bring pain relief for most patients, Stohler says, they do not deal with the underlying disease process, a complex interplay of biologic factors that go beyond a misalignment of teeth or bite problems, once held solely responsible for these disorders.

They include genetic differences in pain perception or how an individual responds to pain, and the frequent presence of other painful conditions, such as fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis, among others, which may mask or modify the symptoms of a TMJ problem.

“Most of these cases do resolve on their own, but some people suffer for years,” Stohler said. “And the more severe the case, the greater the likelihood that TMJ will coexist with other medical problems.”

In Pelt’s case, her jaw condition is moderate, according to her dentist, Dr. Michelle Dorsey, a solo practitioner on Merritt Island, who is centering treatment around a computer-guided sensing device, made by Tekscan.

“It tells me which tooth is hitting which tooth and with what force over time,” says Dorsey - critical information to “occlusal equilibration,” the treatment’s ultimate goal, once the joints have been stabilized and the tissue inflammation quelled.

As part of her therapy, Pelt wears a customized splint at night.

The splint doesn’t just protect the teeth from being worn or cracked, Dorsey said, but it takes the pressure off the closing muscles in the mouth so they can relax and lengthen over time, allowing the joint to sit comfortably in the socket without pain.

TMJ: a slow healing process

You won’t be totally pain free over night (although it’s amazing how quickly these exercises sometimes work). It will take some time to reverse the tension that has been building up in your muscles for long time (even before you noticed any symptoms).

These exercises rebuild your jaw function little by little.

The muscles around the jaw must first regain their old strength and flexibility. Then the jaw muscle will guide your jaw joints into their natural healthy position. This usually happens slowly and gradually. The fact remains, this is the only method proven effective to heal TMJ. Nothing else helps!

Extremely Effective TMJ Exercises

1)The jaw exercises are self explained. They strengthen and loosen up the jaw muscles directly, so the muscles will not push the jaw joint out of place but guide them into right position.

2)The tongue exercises, loosen up the tongue muscle. Even healthy people have too much tension in their tongue. People who suffer from TMJ are way off balance there.

3)The throat exercises strengthen the throat. The throat muscles are some of these ‘hidden’ muscles we seldom pay attention to. They’re however extremely important and if they’re stiff, you’ll suffer several symptoms in your throat.

4)The neck and shoulder muscles are directly connected to the Jaw muscles. These muscles are usually the first one to freeze when the jaw muscles get stiff. They can, however, easily be put back into regular function using powerful neck and shoulder exercises.

5)The breathing exercises will nurture and loosen up all the muscles in your head. What’s more, they’ll will also relief any emotional stress built up in your muscles. You’ll be amazed how effective they’re.

These exercises have been practiced successfully by thousands of people suffering from TMJ and it still surprises me how effective they are, considering how many causes lie behind this complex condition.

Cure Your TMJ Now

TMJ Secondary Symptoms

The misplaced jaw causes unbalance between the left and the right jaw joints. It’s like driving a car having one wheel turn left and the other right. You can imagine the strain this puts on the wheels and the steering. Well, you know the strain it puts on You.

Nerves get squeezed. Either directly by the misplaced jaw or the tense muscles around it. The same nerves lie around the jaw as the ears. The same nerves that control the balance system. That’s why you may experience dizziness or lack or balance for example?

No muscle is an island. They’re all connected, either directly or through the nerve system. If your jaw muscles get stiff, all the other muscles around it will tense up too. You’ve probably experienced your shoulders and neck become more tense, as your TMJ has grown worse. This is only one example.

Less noticeable is the tension in all the small muscles in your head. Including your other face muscles, tongue, throat and even eyes. You may also feel like your throat is narrower now than before (you’re not crazy it’s true).

As this tension builds up little by little, you’ll begin to feel the secondary symptoms of TMJ, including:

• Voice fluctuations
• Sore throat without infection
• Swallowing difficulties
• Bloodshot eyes
• Tongue pain
• Balance problems, “vertigo”, dizziness, or disequilibrium
• Feeling of foreign object in throat
• Clogged, stuffy, “itchy” ears, feeling of fullness
• Watering of the eyes
• Plus hundreds of other secondary symptoms…

There is no way to heal your TMJ, unless you loosen up and strengthen all the muscles connected to the jaw and the jaw muscles.

What we do know about TMJ

What we know for a fact about TMJ is, the jaw joints are always misplaced in some way. It doesn’t necessarily have to be complete misplacement (although sometimes it is). Small wrong misplacement can be enough. And the symptoms can be both nerve racking and painful:

• Clicking, popping jaw joints
• Grating sounds
• Jaw locking opened or closed
• Extreme pain in cheek muscles
• Uncontrollable jaw or tongue movements
• Clenching or grinding at night
• Discomfort or pain to any of these areas
• Limited opening
• Inability to open the jaw smoothly or evenly
• Jaw deviates to one side when opening
• Inability to “find bite” with teeth
• Frequent, migraine type headaches

Another thing we know for a fact is, the jaw muscles are always very tense. It varies how painful they’re or if they’re torn but they’re always too tense. These weak, tense jaw muscles will push your jaw further out of position and make the problem worse.

This is similar to back problems. Most people who suffer from back problems have weak, tense muscles. The back problem may have started by using bad position when working, by minor injury, or something else that didn’t seem very serious at the time.

To avoid the mild pain, the muscles in the back get tense. It jut happens. This is a function nature gave us to deal with pain. The real problem begins when the tension in the back muscles push the spine (even just a little bit) out of place. What should only have been minor problem if the person had exercised and strengthen the back muscles, is now chronic, serious condition.

The same thing happens with TMJ. What might have started out as minor problem (maybe you got hit in the jaw or had short period of intense stress) is now becoming chronic problem, because the jaw muscles now push your jaw out of place.

Cure Your TMJ Now

Why do TMJ experts fail you?

TMJ is one of the most complex conditions you’ll ever find. Every TMJ patient has different original causes for his or her condition. And not only one cause or accident. There are probably several contributing factors causing your pain. Both physical and emotional.

Overwhelming feelings like stress, grief, or intense anger are often basic triggers of TMJ. Injuries, like car accidents or sport injuries are another common triggers.

You may not even have noticed at all when your condition began to develop. Maybe you bumped into something but didn’t give it a second thought. Few days later you began to experience pain. Most often, there is no way to know the original trigger.

There is no reliable cure for TMJ

Your doctor is probably doing all he can. He’s most likely given you strong pain relief pills and maybe some muscle relaxation medicines. But there is not much more he can do. All these medicines fail. Even if they reduce the pain a little for a while in the beginning, they’ll stop working little by little as your body gets immune to them. Your dentists may try his best to help you by making a dental implant. These implants are mostly meant to save your teeth from grinding down. It is not a permanent cure and usually doesn’t relief the pain, although it may be well worth it to save your teeth.

TMJ Natural Treatment Testimonials

All these people tried our unique, yet simple exercises. Here is what they have to say…

“Thank you very much for responding to me. I have done all the exercises for the past 2 nights and my jaws have not hurt at all when I wake up in the morning. Thank you so much. I will e-mail you from time to time to let you know how I am doing.”
Alie Vanhoy - Dallas, TX

“After the first couple of days I could feel a noticeable change. The clicking, popping, and tension were 90% gone. Each day things continued to improve.”
Mary Stuart - Freehold, NJ

“Just to let you know that my condition is improving each day since I started your program. The pain is diminishing each day and hopefully it will be completely gone in the near future.”
Thomas Young - Orlando, FL

“After reviewing the information about your program and understanding the concept behind it, I realized just how amazing and effective it really is. It totally cured me in less than two weeks. I’d highly recommend your program to anybody who suffers from TMJ.”
Ann Smith - San Diego, CA

“Thank you for your email and I am so glad that I am able to put the exercises on CD. This way I can do the exercises as I drive down the road. Thank you again!”
Vivian Franklin - Detroit, MI

“I wanted to let you know that during the time I was having trouble with my TMJ, I did several of your exercises for my neck and later, when I took a bite of something I noticed my mouth opened easily. I looked in the mirror and my mouth opened all the way!! Your exercises helped my TMJ and I haven’t had any trouble since! Thanks.”
Beverly March - Columbus, OH

“After three days of two exercises each day, I can now open my mouth wider, there is no longer the constant pain, and the pain I have when opening my mouth widely has been reduced by 80%.”
Kyle Gilmore - Boston, MA

“I have suffered with migraine headaches for the past 46 years. There is not a conventional medical treatment that I have not tried at least once. I have not had one migraine since I started the treatment. I wish that I had learned of this procedure years ago.”
Krista Patterson - Chicago, IL

Try Our Program Now

A Natural Treatment To TMJ

Our program works because it is directly aimed at loosening up and strengthening your “weaker muscles,” which are causing you pain - instead of cutting them (like in surgery), or pushing them aside (like those incredibly uncomfortable devices they make you wear in your mouth) which, besides being uncomfortable and ineffective, can even be dangerous! We don’t have to mention to you that no surgery is without risk, but in reality, the biggest risk of surgery is undergoing it and not curing a darn thing!

STOP TMJ NOW!

In just 3 minutes a day, it teaches you:

• How to strengthen and loosen up the tongue - this is more important than you may think!
• The 3 single most powerful exercises to open up a narrow throat
• How to quickly find out if you have an airway block in your nose, and 2 exercises to quickly start curing it. (If your sinuses are blocked, this is extremely important).
• The single most important thing you must know about a stiff jaw that’s causing your TMJ, and how to loosen it up.
• How to break up the tension line between your shoulders and your jaw. Each muscle group multiplies your TMJ, but I’m going to teach you exactly to how deal with them all!
• How to use powerful breathing exercise to quickly remove the head pain you’re suffering, even while the jaw is still locked up!

The reason why this works is because it goes right to the source of the problem: tension in the face muscles. Nobody knows exactly why it happens, but TMJ is caused by most of the muscles in the head (including the throat, tongue, jaw and the shoulders) to stiffen up. This causes the pain and dysfunctions in this area.

But strengthening and relaxing the jaw alone won’t cure your TMJ. The worst problem of TMJ is that all the muscles in the head work together to dislocate the jaw joint. Our program finally solves that by working on relaxing and strengthening every muscle in your head, from the inside out. This program first explains your TMJ problem and then gives you a simple, step-by-step program that is aimed specifically at YOUR causes for TMJ.

Here are just a few things you will discover in our program:

• The most important and most little known breathing exercise that changes the way you breathe every day which removes tension that tenses your muscles and causes TMJ pain.
• An easy way to fake yawning over and over again - that completely opens up the throat and relieves tension in your face.
• What you can do with a soda bottle cap and a newspaper - that completely opens up the jaw in just 2 minutes. (This is also used by singing pros – you’ll be amazed at how this feels!)
• An unexpected but startling 15 minute exercise that could release mental tension that is cramping up your neck muscles and ends your pain for days every time you use it.
• The 3 single most awkward looking (but extremely powerful!) exercises to strengthen the tongue that could cure the majority of TMJ even if you don’t exercise anything else.

These are just the tip of the iceberg and are part of a complete, step-by-step guide to stop your TMJ with a total of 24 exercises you can use. You don’t have to use them all. In fact, you can pick out the exercises that fit YOU the best and you feel work the best for YOU.

We’ve also included the exercises on audio, so you can download them and burn them to a CD and use the exercise program wherever you are. If you easily forget these easy “chores,” this is an amazing way to make sure you get results.

The guide is completely illustrated so the exercises become crystal-clear. It literally takes you by the hand, step-by-step to make sure you do the exercises correctly. And if you do, we promise you could have results the very first day, and cure your TMJ permanently in just 2 to 4 weeks!

STOP TMJ NOW!

Alternative Treatment To TMJ

We are going to give you a simple exercise that opens up your throat and deals with one of the most common symptoms of TMJ: tense jaw muscles. The exercise you’re going to do shows you immediately how incredibly simple, how incredibly easy, how incredibly effective it is to start loosening up and strengthening these muscles.

Simply close your mouth and act like you are chewing gum. Chew like this for a minute or so at a time. To do the exercise right make sure your molars on both sides move apart a little, and then touch lightly again. Also notice that your lips are supposed to be closed the whole time.

This exercise is pretty easy on your jaw because you are not actually chewing anything, but you might still feel a little bit sore in the beginning. Just take it easy - maybe chew for only a few seconds in the beginning and then increase the time you exercise. You can make an “mmm” sound as you chew. This will open the throat better. Making an “mmm” sound is not necessary, it will just give the exercise extra boost.

You’ve Just Proven One of the 19 Powerful Relief TMJ Pain Techniques in our Program!

Having a stiff tongue, throat, or jaw are the main underlying causes for TMJ head pain. After that, most complaints come from the neck and the shoulders. Together, these are the 5 most common symptoms of TMJ and we’ve developed 24 brief and startling exercises that quickly cure them at the root.

STOP TMJ NOW!

TMJ Causes

The cause of some TMJ disorders can be traced to trauma from a severe blow to the jaw, degeneration of the joint, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or other forms of inflammation.

The causes of many cases of TMJ disorders, however, aren’t always clear. Some experts believe that responses to stress or anxiety may be a primary or contributing causal factor.

If you frequently clench your jaw when you’re stressed, irritated or concentrating, the muscles of the TMJ are kept in a contracted position — not unlike the discomfort you would probably feel if you flexed your biceps all day. Similarly, you may respond to tension or anxiety by grinding your teeth (bruxism). You may even clench your jaw or grind your teeth in your sleep without realizing it.

Other habits that overwork the jaw muscles, such as chewing on a pen or chewing gum, may exacerbate the pain of TMJ disorders.

Poor posture of the head, neck and shoulders — such as pushing your head forward or slouching while working at a computer — may put strain on the muscular and skeletal systems that are closely related to the jaw muscles and joints.

STOP TMJ NOW!

TMJ Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder vary in their presentation and can be very complex. Due to the different anatomic structures involved, it is easy to group the symptoms accordingly into three categories. The anatomic structures affected in TMD are the muscles, the temporomandibular joints, and the teeth.

STOP TMJ NOW!

Muscles

Disorders of the muscles of the temporomandibular joint are the most common complaints by TMD patients. The two major observations concerning the muscles are pain and dysfunction. In TMD, the muscle pain is described as a “deep pain” and does not seem to be simply from overuse and fatigue. Instead, it is believed that this pain is a result by mechanisms from the central nervous system.

In these cases, muscle pain can sometimes be associated with trigger points in muscle tissue. The trigger points are attributed to deep, constant pain and to causing the pain to be referred to other parts of the body. For example, the trapezius muscle refers pain more commonly to the ear, temple, and angle of the jaw, while the occipital belly of the occipitofrontalis muscle refers pain to behind the eye. Trigger points residing in the shoulder muscles can also cause muscle disorders of the temporomandibular joint.

Trigger points are also involved with associated migraines in TMD, even though migraines themselves are not fully an aspect of TMD. When pain of the temporomandibular joint precedes migraines, then treatment of the TMD may reduce the number of migraines, but TMD treatment is not a “cure” for migraines. Other kinds of headaches can be an expression of the pain produced by trigger points.

The dysfunction involved is usually a restriction on mandibular movement upon opening of the mouth. In some cases, it is possible to continue opening the mouth if done slowly, but the pain may stay present or intensify. Additionally, the dysfunction of the muscles may cause the teeth to occlude with each other incorrectly. This condition is called an acute malocclusion and is the result of TMD, not the cause.

Temporomandibular joints

Disorders of the temporomandibular joints are usually the most noted observation upon examination of TMD patient because most signs are readily detected by the clinician, not necessarily the patient. The two major observations concerning the joints are pain and dysfunction. In a healthy joint, the surfaces in contact with one another do not have any receptors to transmit the feeling of pain.

STOP TMJ NOW!

The pain therefore must originate from one of the surrounding soft tissues: the discal ligaments, the capsular ligaments, and the retrodiscal tissue. When receptors from one of these areas are triggered, the pain causes a reflex to limit the mandible’s movement. Furthermore, inflammation of the joints can cause constant pain, even without movement of the jaw.

Due to close proximity of the ear to the temporomandibular joint, TMJ pain can be expressed as ear pain. The pain may be referred in around half of all patients and experienced as otalgia (earache). Conversely, TMD is an important possible cause of secondary otalgia.

Treatment of TMD may then significantly reduce symptoms of otalgia and tinnitus, as well as atypical facial pain. Despite some of these findings, there are some researchers who question whether TMD therapy can reduce symptoms in the ear, and currently a debate is ongoing to settle the controversy.

The dysfunction involved is most often in regards to the relationship between the condyle of the mandible and the disc. The sounds produced by this dysfunction is usually described as a “click” or a “pop” when a single sound is heard. When there are multiple, rough sounds, it is described as “crepitation” or “crepitus”.

Teeth

Disorders of the teeth can also be present in TMD patients. Tooth mobility can be caused by destruction of the supporting bone and by heavy forces being placed on teeth. Movement of the teeth affects how they contact one another when the mouth closes, and the overall relationship between the teeth, muscles, and joints can be altered. The heavy forces on the teeth have been associated with the presence of mandibular tori in TMD patients.

Pulpitis, inflammation of the dental pulp, is another symptom that may result. It is usually caused by heavy forces on the teeth and can cause pain. Lastly, tooth wear is the most common sign associated with a dysfunction of the teeth, but it is not strongly associated with TMD symptoms. Tooth wear can be a result of bruxism or by interfering with the movement of the mandible during function, referred to as the “functional envelope of motion.” Depending on the cause, the treatment for tooth wear differs.

What is the TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a diarthrodial joint that connects the mandible (lower jaw) to the temporal bone at the side of a skull. As a modified hinge joint, not only does the TMJ enable the jaw to open and close, it also enables the jaw to move forward and backward, as well as laterally.

This is a ginglymo-arthrodial joint; the parts entering into its formation on either side are: the anterior part of the mandibular fossa of the temporal bone and the articular tubercle above; and the condyle of the mandible below.

Classification of disorders involving the temporomandibular joint involve six categories:

• Disorders can be described as functional disturbances, which is also called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD), myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS), TMJ pain dysfunction syndrome, or mandibular dysfunction. This disorder is marked by an acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint.
• Disorders of the temporomandibular joint can manifest as organic disease entities. These include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and infectious arthritis.
• There can be ankylosis (”fusion”) of various structures of the joint. Subcategories of ankylosis include fibrous and bony ankylosis.
• Trauma to the temporomandibular joint can result in fractures or non-fractures.
• Disorders can result from the condylar head of the mandible being trapped anterior to its correct location and thus are referred to as dislocations. A dislocation may be chronic or acute.
• Disorders of the temporomandibular joint may include tumors, though this occurs very rarely. Tumors may express in the form of osteomas, ostochondromas, soft tissue invasions, or metastasis from a different tumor in the body.

--- Stop TMJ Now ---

A Natural Method To Permanently Eliminate TMJ

If you’re at the end of your wits with your jaw (and head) pain, then discover how this foolproof system relaxes your face muscles with simple yet very powerful, step-by-step 3 minute exercises… permanently curing your TMJ as soon as today!

The reason why this works is because it goes right to the source of the problem: tension in the face muscles.

You see, nobody know exactly why it happens, but TMJ is caused by most of the muscles in the head (including the throat, tongue, jaw and the shoulders) to stiffen up. This causes the pain and dysfunctions in this area.

--- Find out more about TMJ Solution ---

But strengthening and relaxing the jaw alone won’t cure your TMJ. You see, the worst problem of TMJ is that all the muscles in the head work together to dislocate the jaw joint.

This program finally solves that by working on relaxing and strengthening every muscle in your head, from the inside out.

In just 3 minutes a day, it teaches you:

• How to strengthen and loosen up the tongue…this is more important than you may think!
• The 3 single most powerful exercises to open up a narrow throat
• How to quickly find out if you have an airway block in your nose, and 2 exercises to quickly start curing it. (If your sinuses are blocked, this is extremely important).
• The single most important thing you must know about a stiff jaw that’s causing your TMJ, and how to loosen it up.
• How to break up the tension line between your shoulders and your jaw. Each muscle group multiplies your TMJ, but I’m going to teach you exactly to how deal with them all!
• How to use powerful breathing exercise to quickly remove the head pain you’re suffering…even while the jaw is still locked up!

Find out more about TMJ Solution.

Are TMJ Symptoms Reversible Without TMJ Surgery?

Do you think you have TMJ and are looking for a dentist or therapist to help with TMJ relief?

First let’s discuss some of the symptoms so that you are clear about what to watch for and take care of -

TMJ Symptoms:

Your jaw hurts especially when talking, yawning or chewing

You can’t open your mouth wide. It may get so bad you can’t open more than two inches.

You also feel pain in your neck, shoulders or ears. Teeth Grinding Jaw Clicking

Does that sound like you?

It is the muscles that control your jaws that are the problem. One set of muscles pulls in one direction to open your mouth and another set of muscle pull in another way to close your mouth. If your muscles are stressed in certain ways, tired or overworked, they won’t open or close your jaw properly.

So what to do about it? You could see someone such as a dentist or a physical therapist and they can assist you. Or read on and I will give you another suggestion.

Some things that may be suggested:

A dentist may tell you that you need a mouthguard to realign your jaw.

You may be told to consciously relax your shoulders, face and jaw muscles to ease TMJ symptoms.

Sleep on your back or side, as sleeping face down pushes your face to the side, causing pressure on the jaw.

Surgery may be suggested. Be sure to try looking at other means to correct your problem first.

Some diet tips:

Eliminate Caffeine, or seriously cut back on it. Those who drink caffeine tend to clench their jaw more.

Don’t chew large pieces of hard or brittle food.

Eat plenty of vegetables, especially dark green vegetables. They contain Calcium and Magnesium, which help with healthy muscles, ligaments and tendons.

You may want to eat soft foods for a few days. If you TMJ is particularly bad, you could make vegetable soup with a variety of vegetables and a small amount of meat and get by for a few days to rest your jaw, as this will rest your jaw from vigorous chewing.

Can the situation be serious? Yes it can. The temporomandibular joint can become inflamed and swollen. If it gets bad enough it may lock your jaw open or shut. The muscles and ligaments around this joint could lose their elasticity and balance with other muscles, leading to your lower jaw pulling in, which will cause a receding jaw.

It is important to take care of your TMJ at the first sign of problems. I was told I would need surgery. Learn how I got rid of my TMJ through physical therapy that I could do myself. You can learn this too.

Find out more about TMJ Solution.