It seems like all of my friends are having jaw pain.
As we trudged deeper into our 30s, I was prepared to hear about bad backs and tricky knees. But the mouth stuff was unexpected. Some were grinding their teeth at night and needed mouthguards. Others had doctors inject botulinum toxin, commonly referred to as Botox, into aching jaws. And we are all now extremely familiar with a new body part: the TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, which connects the jawbone to the skull.
TMJ is a common, convenient shorthand for jaw pain, but the correct term for the condition is temporomandibular disorder or TMD. There are several types of TMD, all of which relate to jaw bones and muscles.
Roughly 10% to 15% of adults have some form of temporomandibular disorder, estimates Dr Thomas P Sollecito, professor and chair of oral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. “The vast majority don’t require treatment,” he says. TMD can clear up on its own, or may be painless and not require intervention.
So how do you know if the clicking sound your jaw makes is a problem? Do you have TMD or did you just sleep weird? We asked experts.
What are temporomandibular disorders (TMDs)?
TMDs are “disorders or symptoms related to the structure and function of the jaw system”, explains Dr Karyn A Kahn, a dentist at the Cleveland Clinic.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, TMDs fall into three main categories: disorders of the temporomandibular joint, disorders of the muscles used for chewing, and headaches associated with jaw strain.
Because TMD encompasses a range of disorders, symptoms can vary. “There are a lot of different signs and symptoms that may suggest a patient is experiencing a temporomandibular disorder,” Kahn says. These include a clicking or popping sound in the jaw, facial pain, tooth fractures from grinding, limited jaw movement, and even seemingly unrelated issues such as headaches and ear pain.
Women tend to experience TMDs more than men, though no one’s exactly sure why. Some studies have found a connection between estrogen and temporomandibular pain, Kahn says. Sollecito says others have also suggested that women experience stress differently, and are more likely to grip their jaws. “And some people think women just seek [medical] care more than men,” he says, which means more recorded cases in women.
What causes TMDs?
TMDs have a variety of causes. They can result from physical trauma (being hit in the jaw, for example), genetics, anatomical factors such as how your jaw lines up, and lifestyle habits such as chewing gum or eating lots of chewy food such as bagels.
Temporomandibular disorders have also been found to overlap with some chronic pain conditions such as migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic back pain and chronic pelvic pain in women, says Dr Clark Stanford, professor of prosthodontics and dean of restorative dentistry at the University of Iowa.
referenc<https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/does-jaw-click-grind-teeth-170048364.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
