Do you hear a clicking sound when you open your mouth? Let's learn about this TMJ condition (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder)

Have you ever woken up suddenly and heard a clicking sound from your jaw? Or have you ever felt a slight pain in front of your ears, near your jaw joint, and had difficulty opening or closing your mouth? This could be the cause of your frequent headaches. Many people have experienced this, but they don't know what causes it. Today we're talking about Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder, a common but somewhat annoying condition that occurs in our jaw joint.

Simply put, what is TMJ?

Think of your jaw as a hinge. This hinge allows us to move our jaw up and down and side to side when we talk, eat, or wake up. We have two such joints in front of our ears, on each side of our face. These joints are medically known as the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) .

So, when there is a problem or disorder in this joint or the muscles around it, we call it TMJ Disorder (TMD) . However, in colloquial speech, many people simply say that this condition is "having TMJ".

This is not as scary as you might think. It is a very common condition. It is most common in women between the ages of 20 and 40. The best part is that it can be treated successfully and it rarely causes serious long-term problems.

What are the symptoms of this condition?

Take a look to see if you have these symptoms. Not everyone will have all of these symptoms, maybe just one or two.

Why do we get this TMJ condition?

It's hard to pinpoint just one reason for this. Often, it's a combination of several factors that contribute to this.

• Injuries to the jaw: Such as a hard blow to the face, breaking a bone in the jaw, or dislocating a joint.
• Teeth grinding (Bruxism): Teeth grinding, especially in sleep or unconsciously clenching your teeth during the day, puts a lot of pressure on the joints and muscles.
• Arthritis: Arthritis can affect the hip joint as well as the knee.
• Dental positioning problems: Teeth that don't fit together properly (misaligned bite) can put extra pressure on the jaw joint.
• Stress: When we are stressed, we unconsciously tighten the muscles in our face and jaw. This can lead to pain if it continues.

Our own habits that increase risk

Sometimes the little things we do every day can cause this TMJ pain to increase.

• Chewing on things like pan lids, ice cubes, and nails.
• Sitting with poor posture, especially when working at a computer, with your neck and head tilted forward.
• When eating food like hamburgers, open your mouth wide and chew large pieces.
• Using your teeth for things like opening bottle caps.
• Sleeping on your stomach can put unnecessary pressure on your jaw.

How do you find this, Doctor?

When you go to see a doctor, the first thing he or she does is ask you a detailed question about your symptoms. Then, he or she will perform a physical examination.

What is looked at during a medical examination?

• We're seeing how wide you can open your mouth without pain.
• Your doctor will gently squeeze your hip joint and the muscles around it to check for pain or stiffness.
• When you open and close your mouth, you feel the joint move with your hand and see if there is a sound.

Tests if necessary

This condition can usually be diagnosed through a physical examination, but sometimes tests like these can be done to confirm the cause.

• Dental X-rays: Check the condition of the teeth and jawbones.
• CT Scan: See the fine details of the bones of the joint.
• MRI Scan: Detect problems with the cartilage, soft tissues, and muscles around the joint.

How is it treated?

Treatment depends on the cause of your symptoms and their severity. Most of the time, we start with simple treatments, not major things like surgery.

Types of drugs

Your doctor may prescribe medications like these to reduce pain, swelling, and muscle stiffness.

Non-surgical treatments

Many people get good results from these methods.

• Mouth guards or splints: A special device designed to be worn at night while sleeping, especially for people who grind their teeth, to protect their teeth and reduce pressure on the jaw joint.
• Physical therapy: Special exercises that strengthen the muscles of the ankle and increase their flexibility.
• Changing habits: Avoid chewing gum, bubble gum, reduce eating hard foods (e.g. dried meat, hard biscuits), and maintain good posture.
• Ultrasound therapy: Uses heat to relax muscles.
• TENS therapy: Uses a very small electrical current to reduce muscle pain and stiffness.

Surgery

Only if all other treatments have failed, the doctor may consider surgery.

• Arthrocentesis: A procedure in which a syringe is used to inject fluid into the joint, cleaning the inside of the joint and removing substances that are causing inflammation.
• TMJ arthroscopy: A minor surgery performed by inserting a very small camera into the joint.
• Open-joint surgery: A slightly more complicated surgery that is only performed if there is a major structural problem with the joint.

Can this condition be completely cured?

Yes. Most people can manage this condition well, and sometimes even recover completely . For some people, symptoms will improve in a week or two. For others, treatment may be needed for a while. The important thing is that with a proper diagnosis and the right treatment plan, most people can get relief from pain and regain normal function of their jaw.

Whether your pain is short-term or long-term, there is help available. If your symptoms are interfering with your life, don't wait any longer and talk to your doctor .

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