Temporomandibular Disorder

(TMD, Jaw pain)

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What is Temporomandibular Disorder?

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Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a disorder that causes pain and tissue damage in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) including disc, and surrounding muscles of jaw.

 

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Common Signs and Symptoms of TMD

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Pain is the most common complaint of TMD patients and more commonly occurs in the masticatory muscles and the joints. TMD can also cause sounds of clicking and popping or more continuous grinding sound called crepitus as patients open to eat or chew. Limitation of opening mouth or locking jaw occur if TMD is more severe. If untreated, TMD causes headache, facial asymmetry, tinnitus, neuropathic pain, etc.

 

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5 Stages of TMD

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DDWR – Disc displacement with reduction

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Episodic disc displacement without reduction

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Continuous disc displacement without reduction

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Soft tissue remodeling

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Degenerative joint disease

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What Causes TMD?

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There are many factors that cause for TMD: major and minor injury, grinding teeth, clenching teeth, discrepancy between maxilla and mandible, mal-occlusion, muscle disorders, hereditary disorders, hormonal changes, depression, sleep disorders, etc.

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Diagnostic tools for TMD

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Past medical history, cranial nerve examination, TMD physical examination, radiographic examinations (panoramic, Cone beam CT, MRI), sonogram, blood lab test, biopsy

 

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Treatments for TMD

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Cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, medications, splint or device treatment, non-surgical injections treatments (Botox, Hyaluronic acid, Tissue regeneration), surgical intervention