Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, limits the natural function of the jaw and affects over 10 million people in the United States. It causes many problems – poor posture, poor tooth alignment, and chronic jaw clenching. It leads to jaw spasms and reduces overall mouth movement, leading to daily stress on the jawline.
At JawMatrix, our specialists focus on treatments to help our patients ease TMD pain, regain normal jaw movement, and lessen jaw stress through a unique approach that combines dental and chiropractic care to care for all areas of the neck and jawline.
What is temporomandibular joint disorder?
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the joint that connects the jawbone to your skull and is located below the front of the ear. The TMJ guides jaw movement, allowing you to open and close your mouth to talk, speak and chew. However, problems with the joint can lead to TMD, a condition that can last for years, causing jaw pain, difficulties moving the jaw, popping sounds, and headaches.
TMD doesn’t always have causes with dental origins – while chronic bruxism and malocclusions tend to be the most commonly sourced reasons, many other related causes can lead to TMD development. These include:
- Bad Posture: Issues with maintaining a healthy posture can easily lead to TMD, especially for those who sit for long periods. Poor sitting can lead to a forward head position that strains the muscles, forcing the jaw into an open rest position and causing the muscles to become overused.
- Soft-Tissue Displacement: Displacement between the jaw disc and soft-tissue cushion (the ball and socket) of the jaw can lead to TMD, causing frequent popping and clicking sounds.
- Degenerative or Inflammatory Arthritis: Degenerative arthritis can occur in the jaw joint and can be either age-related or trauma-related. In other cases, inflammatory arthritis conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can affect the TMJ.
- Trismus: Previous experience of jaw lock can both cause and be a symptom of TMD, as well as trauma, radiation therapy, and tetanus.
- Jaw Trauma and Whiplash: Car accidents can fracture the jawline, causing pain and stiffness even when fully healed. Whiplash injuries from accidents can also lead to bruxism and tooth misalignments contributing to TMD.
- Inflammatory Conditions: Other inflammatory conditions, such as temporal tendinopathy, can cause excessive contractions to the muscles, leading to tenderness and swelling from excessive bruxism.
Numerous other conditions cause pain in the TMJ region, and we understand the importance of making an accurate diagnosis to ensure correct treatment. At JawMatrix, we ensure that potentially serious problems aren’t overlooked and that all imbalances in the jawline are aligned and healed.
Treatments for TMD at JawMatrix
Depending on the underlying cause of your disorder, both Dr. Gulesserian and Dr. Pezeshkian have over 40 years of combined patient care to help address your concerns:
- Soft Tissue Release: Soft tissue release techniques can relax the masticatory muscles, providing gradual pressure that relieves pain and discomfort in the jawline.
- Joint Mobilization: Rhythmic joint mobilization techniques works with passive movements and joint exercises to open the joint and stretch the outside muscles to help increase jaw movement.
- Posture Correction: Spinal deformities, traumatic accidents, and poor posture can be treated through posture correction techniques to relieve jaw pain from TMD.
- Occlusal Splints: If the cause of TMD is dental, then our doctors can provide occlusal splints to conserve the jawline and help guide the jawline back to a healthy position.
From the moment you enter the door, you’ll be welcomed by a team of caring staff members who will work with you to achieve your goals for jaw pain relief. Contact JawMatrix in Burbank, CA, to schedule an appointment today!