Archive for the ‘TMJ’ Category

We can all get a little ‘devil may care’ in Bootle, especially when we are young and we expect our body’s to take the full flack that we exert on them. Over time however, the body suffers from wear and tear- this is never more apparent when you look at the way we use our mouths on a day to day basis- we talk, we chew and this puts pressure on our temporomandibular joint or TMJ; this is the tiny joint that connects the lower jaw to the upper jaw. Throughout your life, your dentist will try to ensure that the mouth’s occlusion or ‘bite’ remains true through the use of braces, crowns, bridges and dental implants- this will at some level take the strain off the TMJ. But of course, this only helps to back up the everyday uses that we put our jaws through. Stresses in life can make us angry, grind our teeth and put extra strain on the TMJ so it’s important to recognise any signs of a problem arising in the jaw- difficultly in chewing, the jaw popping in normal use, headaches, tinnitus, neck ache- all of these are connected to the jaw. If any of these problems, like any problem, are not caught, nay addressed at source, the rectification of said issues may require long term physical surgery.

Dentistry, like all medicine, is full of terminology that the man on the street might not understand. It’s no wonder that dentists have to train so long in order to get grips with it all! TMJ is just one term that might leave many a lay person baffled, especially when its full name is used: temporomandibular joint disorder. But it is a condition that is worth learning a little about so that, should it start to affect you, you can recognise the signs and act quickly to get it treated.

The temporomandibular joint is that which joins the jaw bone to the skull. It is important in dentistry because it can suffer stresses and strains from the motion of moving the mouth; in chewing food, as an example. The sensitive nerves in the joint can become inflamed if it is put under too much pressure and this is what is known as temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ.

If you start to feel that your jaw is aching more than normal or it is hurting when you chew food or bite down on things then you might be suffering from TMJ. The pain can spread to your neck, shoulders or the rest of your face and can be very debilitating. Permanent nerve damage can result so it is best that these complaints are addressed.

A common cause of TMJ is bruxism, the act of grinding teeth during sleep. Over time, this nocturnal clenching of the jaw can lead to TMJ thanks to the sustained pressure. If this is the case then your Bootle dentist will deal with the cause before addressing the TMJ itself.