TMJ Problems

Sometimes, jaw pain is caused by an injury. In many cases, however, jaw pain is caused by a disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the ball and socket joint on each side of your jaw. This joint connects the lower jaw to the skull near the front of the ear.

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are caused by problems with the muscles of the jaw or the joint itself. A clicking or popping sound when opening the mouth wide, such as in yawning, may be a sign that you have a problem with your TMJ.

TMDs result from a variety of things, such as traumatic blow to the head (including whiplash), teeth grinding or clenching, and arthritis.

People with TMD sometimes experience chronic headaches, earaches, and facial and dental pain.

There are steps that can be taken to avoide TMJ problems or relieve the symptoms:

• Eat a soft diet and avoid caffeine.
• Chew on both sides at the same time or alternate sides.
• Avoid bad habits such as clenching and grinding teeth, tensing, and gum chewing.
• Avoid excessive or prolonged opening of your mouth.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• Pain and inflammation may be relieved by natural or synthetic anti-inflammatory medication.
• Use ice massage by rubbing large ice cubes directly over tender muscles and joints, for 3-6 minutes.
• Utilize breathing relaxation techniques.