Problems in the TMJ

An increasing number of problems traced to the place where your jaw meets your ear. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. It’s called the TMJ or the temporomandibular joint, the moveable place near your ear where your jaw, the mandible meets the bone in front of your ear, the temporal bone.

TMJ’s are but two of many joints in the human body, but they are common sites for sore bites. For a whole variety of reasons, people develop pain, discomfort or disability in their TMJ’s. One very common cause of TMJ disease is bruxism, the habit of clenching or grinding the teeth. Grinding the teeth can tire out the sets of muscles around the TM joint, and the muscles, the bones in the joint, and other surrounding tissues can all suffer.

Another common cause for the TMJ disease is problems with the way teeth fit together. An uncorrected bad bite or malocclusion can place the jaw muscles under stress and set off, again, the spasm-pain cycle leading to disease of the TMJ. There are man other causes of TMJ disease, including arthritis, and conditions related to head and neck pain – like migraine headaches – can sometimes be triggered by problems in the TMJ.

Fortunately, there are many treatments for TMJ problems, including heat to the area, medicines, surgery, special dental devices and relaxation techniques. TMJ – easy to say, but really quite a mouthful. For a copy of this script, access our website: speaking of health.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, for CBS news.