What is TMJ?
TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint, which is made up of a disk
separating the lower jaw from the fixed upper jaw. It is also a complex
area a few millimeters in front of the ear canal and a passageway for
many of the nerves and blood vessels to the head and neck. When this
joint is injured, inflamed or when the disk is not staying between the
jaws, headaches, muscle spasms, ringing in the ears, and difficulty
eating are a few of the problems that can result.
WHAT CAN YOU
THE PATIENT DO?
As we begin to treat your temporomandibular joint muscle dysfunction,
our success will depend in large part upon the way you treat these
injured areas. By following these guidelines, even without drugs or
appliances, some significant relief can occur.
- Keep your teeth apart. During times of occupational, marital, or academic stress, and also while waiting to fall asleep at night, say to yourself, "Lips together, teeth apart." over and over.
- Avoid opening your mouth any wider than the thickness of your thumb (1/2-inch) for the next few months. Therefore, cut your food into small bite size pieces. When yawning, catch your jaw with your hand as in covering your mouth to limit the opening.
- Give your mouth a rest. No gum chewing, biting yours lips or cheeks, clenching teeth, chewing peanuts, ice cubes or any other substance that is repeatedly milled between your back teeth such as a hard crust of bread.
- Sleep on your back or side. Do not sleep on your stomach.
- Do not lift anything more than 10 lbs. or do any strenuous work. Get rid of heavy shoulder bags or briefcases. Your jaw does not work as a separate unit. Your neck and upper back affect this area.
- Avoid or cut down on caffeine, fats, and sugars. The chemicals and acids produced in the digestion of these products can aggravate your situation.
- For temporary relief of pain, as a general rule, use heat for a muscle problem and ice for a joint problem. For a "TMJ'' problem, if the pain is right in front of your ear, that is probably joint related. If the pain is in the cheek area, it is probably muscular. The procedure would be 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off as often as you can or you can alternate the heat and ice.
Treating TMJ problems is like
peeling an onion, i.e.; you must
eliminate many different layers of the problem before coming to a
definite solution or solutions. Even with sophisticated radiographic
techniques, CAT scans, and even MRI's, there is no way a completely
accurate picture of the TMJ can be obtained. Therefore, the doctor must
use all the modern diagnostic techniques available, consultation with
other doctors, and his clinical skill to solve the problem.
We may refer you back to your physician to rule out any other physical
and/or organic problems. Sometimes treatment may be as simple as how
you sleep, sit, or work. If drugs are used, it is generally for a short
period of time. Only reversible techniques are utilized to diagnose and
treat the problem before any final decision is made.
Generally, one or more intraoral appliances similar to a mouth guard
are constructed to obtain and maintain the correct relationship between
the disk and jaws. These appliances are similar to a bone cast in that
they are worn around the clock from a minimum of three months with most
patients wearing an appliance for many years. Once the symptoms are
relieved, and the patient is comfortable, final treatment decisions
must be made. These may include braces, crown and bridge work, shaping
the teeth, and, as a last resort in a small percentage of patients,
surgery. Treatment for many may be just staying in the appliances at
night and modifying daily activities.
Treatment, as well as the decisions as to what type treatment, requires
the teamwork of patient, physician and the dentist.
WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?
What is sleep apnea and how does it differ from snoring? When someone makes a snoring sound during sleep, it is due to a vibration of some tissue or fluid in the air passage. That is why when you have a cold you may snore. Read more >