The jaw joints are called the Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ). When these joints are dysfunctional, the condition is usually known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD).
Some symptoms of TMD may include:
- Clicking
- Popping
- Pain to move the jaw during mouth opening, closing, chewing
- Headaches
- Locked jaw in open or closed mouth position
- Limited mouth opening and/or movement
Each jaw joint has a disc that protects it from wear and tear, especially that these joints are ones of the most used in our bodies. However, there are a number of possible factors that may lead to the jaw joints being dysfunctional, leading to the discs becoming dislocated and/or damaged that they aren’t able to serve their role effectively anymore.
Some of these factors may include:
- Atypical swallowing habits
- Tongue thrusting
- Teeth grinding and/or clenching that may be related to narrow airway and/or mouth breathing
- Narrow jaws
- Retrognathic jaw (meaning the jaw is positioned too far back)
- Snoring and/or sleep apnoea
- Trauma
At The Myofunctional Centre, our dentists perform thorough evaluations and investigations of your jaw joint issues, in order to find the root cause(s). Addressing the root cause(s) of TMD is preferable to achieve a much healthier outcome for the long term, instead of through a band-aid approach only. Often, various health practitioners need to be involved in managing a patient with TMD. See the jaw joint (TMJ) management section.