An overview of acute and chronic TMJ disorders and its symptoms

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ, in short) is a joint located on the sides of the face which controls jaw movement. The TMJ moves the jaw correctly whenever you chew or move the lower jaw. You can prevent severe TMJ disorders by recognizing the early warning signs. Common symptoms of TMJ disorders are ear pain, locked jaw, frequent headaches, and soreness of the jaw and/or temple. A major symptom though, is the tenderness in the jaw. Sometimes you will feel the tenderness in the joint and this pain will radiate up to the ears. Some people feel pain when they chew.

In severe cases, there will be pain even when one does not chew. Acute and chronic TMJ disorders will cause uneven bites and/or severe headaches. A normal condition of TMJ, the jaw is well aligned with teeth while chewing.

When you experience a TMJ disorder, jaw lock may occur, making it difficult for you to open or close your mouth. Due to a TMJ problem, you may also get a clicking sound whenever you chew or talk. A clicking in the jaw many not always is due to a TMJ disorder.

Extreme stress may also cause TMJ disorders. Stress can lead our nerves into impulse actions resulting in nervous habits such as chewing pens or pencils or clenching of the jaw. This can increase the likeliness of getting such disorders. TMJ disorders might cause a person to grind their teeth while they sleep. You can keep yourself from the nervous habits only by adopting methods to treat your stress under control.

So, what do you do if you think you have a TMJ disease? The first thing you must do is visit your dentist. Your dentist might opt for dental corrections, which may cause shift a shifting in your teeth. If this is the case after your correction, you might have to undergo a surgery to have an implant inserted.

Aqualizer™ dental mouth guards can be used to treat TMJ pain and other TMJ disorder symptoms.