Temporomandibular Joint Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Temporomandibular Joint: Disorders of the jaw joint are disorders that are directly in the area in front of the ears on both sides of the head, where the upper and lower jaws meet. This condition is quite complex because the left and right jaw joints cannot move in sync when they are functioning. Therefore, if the jaw joint is disturbed, you can feel jaw pain and interfere with activities such as chewing food.
Symptoms
Be on the lookout for the following symptoms of jaw joint disorder:
- The pain is right in front of the ear and can spread to the cheek, ear and skin areas.
- Sometimes the jaw feels like it’s stuck or locked.
- Because the position of the ear is very close to the jaw, some people seem to hear sound in the ear. Sensitivity to sound in the ear will cause dizziness and vertigo.
- Can hear sounds when jaw chews or moves mouth. This is actually very normal, but if there is pain in the joints, you need to be vigilant.
Reason
The shape of the lower jaw which is attached to the joint resembles a sphere and is attached to the skull bone which is covered by cartilage. These bones are separated by discs that function as dampers so that the movement of chewing, opening or closing the mouth at the joint remains smooth.
When there is a disturbance in the jaw joint, there are several factors that can be the cause, namely:
Occlusion
In this condition, the teeth fit snugly to one another in and between the jaws. In the past, occlusion was always considered as the main cause of jaw joint disorders, but recently it has been widely debated.
Trauma, which can be divided into two:
- Macro trauma: Sudden major trauma resulting in structural changes to the jaw, such as a punch to the face or an accident.
- Microtrauma: Mild but repeated trauma over a long period of time, such as squeezing and rubbing the upper and lower teeth hard. Both of these can cause microtrauma to the tissues involved, such as teeth, jaw joints, or muscles.
Emotional stress
Stress often plays a very important role in jaw joint disorders. When there is stress, the energy that arises will be distributed throughout the body. This condition can cause disorders, such as hypertension, asthma, heart disease, or an increase in head and neck muscle contractions.
Deep pain input
These are all activities outside the normal function and have no functional purpose. Examples of habits such as grinding, grinding the upper and lower teeth hard, biting nails, chewing on one side, and leaning on the chin. Patients who do these things, especially grinding and grinding their teeth, often report jaw joint pain and facial muscle fatigue upon waking.
Diagnosis
Starting from children to the elderly, all have the potential to be affected by jaw joint disorders. However, this disorder is often experienced by adults aged 20-40 years, with more female sufferers than men.
Several studies have found that 70-85% of patients often experience headaches and 40% report facial pain. So before treatment is carried out, the cause of the headache must be identified first. In addition, dentists are the first medical personnel who must be able to diagnose symptoms of jaw joint disorders.
A study in Finland found that many patients with TMJ disorders were overdiagnosed and overtreated because the signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders were often not fully understood by practitioners.
Treatment
As first aid at home, you can try the following ways to deal with jaw joint disorders:
- Drug therapy to relieve swelling and reduce pain.
- Consume foods with a soft texture such as porridge, or you can also cut food into small pieces so that it is easier to crush.
- Avoid hard and chewy foods, especially large ones.
- Compress the side of the face with ice water for 10 minutes, then compress with a warm towel for 5 minutes. Do it several times a day.
Prevention
In order to avoid jaw joint disorders, here are some things you need to pay attention to:
- Avoid the habit of pressing and clenching your teeth. For example, when biting objects that are not food, such as pens, pencils, and nails.
- Avoid calling by pinching it between the neck and cheek.
- Keep yourself away from activities that force you to open your mouth wide.
- Lower your chin and chew on one side of your teeth.