The full medical term of the most commonly used joint in the human body is the Temporomandibular joint, which is the joint on either side of your jaw. Your TMJs are involved in breathing, talking, chewing and even in the expression of human emotions! When the TMJ becomes problematic, it is known as TMD, or Temporomandibular disorder/dysfunction.
What causes TMD?
One of the important and most common causes of TMD dysfunction is the prolonged opening of the mouth during a dental procedure, like that experienced in the removal of wisdom teeth, which can cause severe jaw pain. Other causes include:
- An over or under bite.
- Displacement of the articular disc within the joint.
- Arthritis of the TMJ.
- Grinding of the teeth in your sleep.
- Dysfunction or a biomechanical imbalance of the chewing muscles.
- Poor neck posture.
- Stress, whiplash and a blow to the jaw, are amongst many contributing causes.
What are the symptoms of TMD?
Pain is not always experienced with TMD, but prolonged jaw pain after the removal of wisdom teeth, for example, would be one possible symptom and ear and neck pain can also be experienced. Other symptoms would include:
- Clicking, popping or grinding of the jaw
- An inability to fully open or fully clench the jaw
- Teeth grinding and clenching
- Headaches and dizziness
- An inability to properly eat, talk or sing and sometimes even Tinnitus or ringing in the ears can be a sign of possible TMD.
What should I do if I experience the symptoms of TMD?
You can directly contact your Physiotherapist who will clinically assess the joint condition and start with corrective treatments or refer you to a relevant health professional if warranted. Although your Dentist may be consulted for additional input on using an assistive device during the rehabilitation process, a TMJ trained Physiotherapist will be competent in the recovery and rehabilitation of the pain from wisdom teeth removal and most other forms of TMD. There are several treatments and exercises that your Physiotherapist may recommend, so contact us to start on a recovery program today, to ensure this bothersome and often debilitating disorder can be appropriately addressed and your TMJ functions restored.