Are you familiar with that clicking sound in your jaw? Does it come with severe pain and sometimes, headaches? Beware if you experience these things. These are telltale signs you might have TMJ disorder.

What is TMJ?

TMJ or temporomandibular joint is the joint connecting your lower jaw to the skull. This joint is essential in our daily activities like chewing and talking. This makes it one of the most used joints in the body. In fact, it hardly gets enough rest. At the same time, this is the reason it is prone to different disorders. Even the muscles and ligaments around the joint are also subject to strain.

What are the usual signs of TMJ disorders?

The most common symptom of TMJ disorder is the clicking sound. In some cases, sufferers also experience ringing in the ears. This is because the joint is close to the ear. Patients also have a feeling of fullness in the ears. It can also be a sign of TMJ disorder when you wake up in the morning with your jaws feeling tired.

Is it painful?

TMJ disorders usually come with pain. The most common are headache and discomfort in and around the jaw joint. Some patients feel pain on the entire face and neck areas. In some cases, yawning and continuous chewing may also trigger pain. There are also instances of locking of the jaw.
What causes it

Other than the daily grind of chewing and talking, there are different things that may cause the disorder. These include crooked teeth and malocclusions. Loss of teeth and using inappropriate dental appliances may also trigger joint pains. The same is true with poor and unhealthy habits like teeth grinding and clenching. Physical injuries to the jaw may also cause disorder. A bump, fall, or a whiplash injury from a vehicular accident sometimes may lead to TMJ disorder.

Orthodontic specialists like us may help you get rid of the discomfort associated with such disorders. Check out our contact page to schedule an appointment with us.