Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome, What Is It?

Temporomandibular joint syndrome is also often referred to as temporomandibular joint dysfunction or temporomandibular joint disorder. It corresponds to a set of symptoms that affect the temporomandibular joint.

In any case, one of the main symptoms is pain in the area and a change in the functioning of the joint. It can also have a significant impact on your quality of life. But what exactly is it? How can you get better? Keep reading to find out.

What is the temporomandibular joint?

It is the joint that connects the jaw to the skull in the temporal region. It is located on both sides of the head, just in front of the ears. It helps open and close the mouth. This, in turn, is made possible by so-called chewing muscles.

When you talk, eat, yawn or laugh, you’re using it, so it’s easy to see that you’re using this joint a lot. For this reason, it is not at all strange to say that it is very common to see joint dysfunctions in adults. This can also occur in children, especially from the age of 10.

What is temporomandibular joint syndrome?

As we mentioned before, it is a group of conditions and based on the cause of the problem, it is usually classified as muscle or joint disorders. Often both the joint and the chewing muscles are affected.

It can be unilateral or bilateral. It is also more common in women. The most common age to experience it is between the ages of 20 and 44 (approximately), although it can occur at any age.

The main symptoms include:

• Acute or chronic pain related to jaw movement, usually in the ear area.
• Clicking of the joint when opening and closing the mouth.
• Limited range of motion of the mouth and it can even lock the jaw too.
• Headache and neck pain.
• Earache.
• Ringing sound in the ears.
• Decreased hearing acuity.

What are the possible causes?

The possible causes are very diverse. In fact, in many cases more than one cause may be responsible. So below we have a list of some of the most common ones:

• Malocclusion of the teeth.
• The habit of clenching.
• The habit of biting a pencil, for example.
• Chewing gum.
• teeth grinding.
• Stress and anxiety.
• Increased sensitivity to pain.
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Infection of joints.
• Neoplasia.
• Degenerative joint diseases.
• Trauma in the joint area of ​​the jaw.
• Displacement of the articular disc.

To make the diagnosis, it is often sufficient for the specialist to check the medical history of the pain and perform a physical examination of the affected area, including the neck area.

Sometimes they need pictures, such as an X-ray, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. If the doctor deems it necessary, blood tests are also done to make a differential diagnosis.

How to improve temporomandibular joint syndrome

Often several causes of this syndrome occur in combination. Thus, addressing solutions may require the assistance of an interdisciplinary team. Sometimes, however, it is a temporary situation, which can improve even without specific treatment.

In other cases, however, you need treatment measures that can relieve pain and improve poor joint function. However, there are steps patients can take to reduce or control this syndrome. We call these conservative measures and they include the following:

• Do not bite on inedible objects (such as pencils, pens, etc.).
• Keep your jaw slightly open and relaxed to avoid constantly clenching it.
• Be very careful or even avoid certain musical instruments that can tighten your mouth, jaw or neck.
• Apply muscle relaxation techniques.
• Apply cold or warm compresses to the painful area.
• Improve sleep hygiene.
• Do muscle massages.
• Eat soft foods.
• Avoid wide jaw movements.

These measures are extremely useful, always under the supervision of the specialist. Occasionally, the doctor will prescribe pain relievers and physical therapy. Also, there are removable occlusal splints, which can be helpful in some cases. In severe cases, however, said conservative measures are not sufficient and surgery may be required.

The prognosis may vary depending on the cause

Fortunately, in most cases, patients respond well to conservative measures. There is therefore a good prognosis. However, it is important to note that if temporomandibular joint syndrome is caused by, for example, neoplasia or degenerative joint disease, then the prognosis and evolution may vary.

Taking the above into account, the symptoms may improve or worsen depending on the evolution of the disease causing it. For this reason, it is essential to make a proper medical diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment as appropriate.