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TMJ Disorder
Managing Stress to Help Your Jaw Rest
You may spend most of your life unaware of the important little triangular-shaped
joints located in front of each of your ears. Lined with cartilage, these
joints move with a smooth, gliding motion. Under normal conditions, they
join your lower jaw and temporal bone, allowing your mouth to open and
close. However, stress-related reactions can wear down that cartilage,
exposing nerve endings and creating jaw pain. In fact, the temporomandibular
joint is highly sensitive to overall physical, emotional and psychological
stress. Further, it's affected by the mechanics of your bite and the condition
of your jaw muscles.
So, a little extra stress, a little extra fatigue, a little change in
your bite, and you may temporarily knock the whole system out of balance.
The TMJ disorder or TMD can cause a wide variety of mild to severe symptoms,
from jaw clicking and minor discomfort to sharp pain in your temple, ear,
jaw and teeth; it can also "lock" your jaw open or shut, or
dislocate the jaw altogether.
TMJ is so common in our culture, that we automatically evaluate our patients
for it: with the goals of arresting the problem, protecting your teeth
from further damage, and correcting any underlying bite malfunction. This
may involve fitting you with a hard acrylic physiologic bite appliance,
suggesting ways to alleviate stress, and recommending symptom relief measures.
Typically, TMJ patients need to avoid chewing gum or hard, chewy food,
take small bites, and alternate chewing between both sides of the mouth.
Good nutrition will help the joint heal more quickly; good posture will
also help relieve discomfort. A straight back, relaxed neck, and side-sleeping
position are also most helpful. To relieve soreness, light temple and
jaw massages will stimulate circulation and relax the muscles, For actual
bouts of pain, alternating moist heat and cold for 20 minutes will further
increase circulation. Finally, over the counter anti-inflammatories or
analgesics can be very helpful as well.
The connection between Bruxism and TMJ disorder
Sometimes people exposed to chronic stress or high-pressure situations
can develop a damaging habit known as bruxism: unconsciously biting down
with too much force at non-mealtimes. This inappropriate tendency to constantly
clench or grind the teeth can lead to serious dental problems such as
TMJ disorder. Symptoms of bruxism can include: fractured or chipped teeth,
excessively worn or flat teeth, worn enamel, unexplained tooth or gum
sensitivity, jaw pain, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, popping and
clicking jaws, tense muscles, headaches, partially exposed and sensitive
tooth interior (dentin), and/or tongue indentations. Treatments for bruxism
may include fitting you with an orthotic appliance (nightguard) to stop
the trigger mechanism that initiates the unconscious clenching and grinding.
Sometimes, wearing the guard will eliminate the problem. If not, we can
do further examination to determine the cause, while in the meantime advising
continuous wearing of the guard to spare the teeth from further damage.
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