For most kids, treatment for tmj dysfunction involves eating a soft diet and avoiding habits that irritate the TM joint and muscles (such as chewing gum, opening the mouth too wide while yawning, or clenching or grinding teeth). Ice packs and gentle jaw-strengthening exercises can also help.
Some kids may need to take over-the-counter or prescribed pain medications, including NSAIDs and muscle relaxers. Stress-reduction techniques and biofeedback can also help.
Causes
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your lower jaw to the skull. If you have a TMJ disorder, your jaw may not move properly and you might experience pain and discomfort. You might also have trouble chewing, swallowing, or making facial expressions.
TMDs are a group of disorders that include inflammation or damage to the jaw joint (TMJ), teeth, muscles used for chewing (masticatory muscles), or surrounding tissues. The disorders can be intra-articular, meaning within the joint itself, or extra-articular, such as a problem in the muscles of mastication or the cervical (neck) muscles.
TMD can be caused by teeth clenching and grinding, injury to the jaw or head, and problems with the bite (occlusion). Studies suggest that 85% of people with TMJ suffer from other conditions called comorbidities. They include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, systemic lupus erythema, and other inflammatory diseases and connective tissue disorders. The disorder is twice as common in women than in men.
Symptoms
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the sliding hinge that connects your jaw bone to your skull. It allows you to open and close your mouth, chew and speak. Symptoms of TMJ include pain in the chewing muscles or jaw joint, clicking or popping when chewing, locked jaw, ringing in the ears and headaches.
TMJ can be caused by arthritis or other health conditions that affect the cartilage and underlying bones of the joint. It can also be caused by clenching or grinding the teeth (bruxism) that puts additional strain on the joint and muscle.
TMD can be diagnosed by a doctor or dentist, who will perform a physical exam of your jaw and surrounding muscles. They will ask you questions about your symptoms and review your medical history. X-rays or an MRI may be used to help identify the cause of your symptoms. Treatment options may include oral splints or bite plates to reduce clenching and grinding. Medications such as tricyclic antidepressants or muscle relaxants can be used for pain relief and bruxism control.
Diagnosis
TMJ symptoms can mimic chronic headaches, sinus or ear problems, neck pain and other health conditions. Evaluation – including medical history, exam and imaging – by a health care provider and dentist is important to help identify the cause of your symptoms.
TMDs are disorders of the chewing muscles and joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull. There are two matching temporomandibular joints on each side of your head, located just in front of your ears.
TMDs often do not have obvious signs and symptoms, so it is hard for people to know when they have one. Some people who have TMD may have a lump or clicking sound in their jaw, but many others do not. A health care provider can perform a test called an arthroscopy to diagnose TMD and find out what is causing it. This is a procedure in which the doctor inserts an instrument with a video camera into the joint to see the problem and remove scar-like tissue (adhesions) or reposition the disc in the jaw joint.
Treatment
TMD is a group of conditions that affect the jaw joint and the muscles that control movement of the jaw. Symptoms of TMD can range from a slight clicking, popping or grating sound when opening and closing your mouth to serious limitations in jaw movements and chronic, unrelenting pain.
TMJ treatment options include a soft diet to reduce the inflammation, physical therapy, which can help decrease pain and tightness in the jaw muscles, and stress management techniques to relieve tension. Some people also benefit from medications that can help relieve the pain.
X-rays and other imaging tests are sometimes used to confirm the diagnosis and identify problems with the jaw joint and surrounding structures. Other diagnostic procedures that may be used include arthroscopy (in which a doctor inserts an instrument with a video camera into the jaw joint) and prolotherapy, in which the doctor injects a substance that can trigger the body to repair the joint.