Is age an influential factor of TMJ disorder?

Temporomandibular Joint (T.M.J) is a joint in the human jaw that acts as a hinge connecting the jaw to the skull. TMJ Disorders (T.M.J.D) is considered to involve pain in and around the jaw joint caused by spasming of facial muscles due to displaced TMJ. 

Earlier, it was believed that this disorder was more prevalent in women than men. But, it has been found to be not so. Both men and women are equally affected. 

Is age an influential factor?  Studies have shown peak prevalence in the middle-aged population. 

TMJ is not one disease, but a combination of many. It is classified into three disorders; namely, that of the muscle, disk and joint. And, at all three of these parts of the human body, degeneration occurs and progresses as the age of the person advances. If not diagnosed properly it is shown that 40-70 percent of the population over the age of 65 have TMJ degeneration. 

However, in the majority of the cases, there are no obvious clinical symptoms and the disorder resolves all by itself. But, in at least 15 percent of the cases the disease worsens. It is now believed that as body ages, the functional demands of TMJ may exceed the repair and remodeling capability of the body, leading to degeneration.

Women above 50, during their menopause, are more likely to suffer TMJ degeneration than men, due to extremely varying hormone levels. Muscle disorders among the elderly and their unwillingness to seek TMJ degeneration treatment are also factors. 

All this shows that while age, though influential, is just one of the many factors involved.

Reviewed By :Dr Rajesh Raveendranathan

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How does TMJ affect facial muscle?

The temporomandibular joint is located on each side of the head. This connects the jaw to the skull, making it possible to chew, speak, swallow, and open and close the mouth. Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders or TMD are considered to be a group of conditions that would cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles. These muscles control the jaw movement; hence it leads to facial pain. A TMJ disorder can cause pain in the head and neck as well.

Normally, the pain and discomfort caused due to TMJ disorders would be temporary. Hence, it could be relieved with self-care or nonsurgical treatments. Surgery will be suggested as a last resort to treat TMJ disorders.

Causes of TMD

Usually, the reason behind TMJ disorder is unknown. However, the painful TMJ disorder can occur under the following situations:

• When the disk erodes or moves out of its alignment 
• When the joint’s cartilage is damaged.
• When a blow or other impact damages the joint 

Facial muscles & TMJ disorders 

Usually, when people get stressed or due to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea the muscles would get tightened, especially the face and jaw muscles. This would lead to clenching of the teeth both on stress or during night resulting in pain or TMJ disorder. Any physical stress on the face and neck muscles.

TMD can wear down the teeth, disks, and bones. There will be excessive contractions in the muscles that would lead to accumulated muscle tissue. The tightness in the surrounding tissues would lead to poor lymphatic drainage, and at times causes skin conditions such as acne, rash, and cellulite. 

TMD can contribute to changes in the facial structure as the muscles would become disorganized with some overworking. The natural look of the face could be altered when the teeth shift, if a bone loss occurs, or if the bite and jaw are improper or off-balance.

It is crucial to have good circulation and coherence in the various layers of tissue as it would reflect in healthy and glowing skin. 

Treatment

Normally, the doctor would recommend specific facial exercises to help relieve the pain and to get back the muscles in position. Medications, Orthodontics and splints would also be suggested. Surgery is advised only if there is a complete lock jaw.

At The Right Bite Craniofacial Pain Care, the doctor and his team would provide the necessary treatment that could help relieve the pain caused on the facial muscles due to TMJ disorders.

Reviewed By :Dr Rajesh Raveendranathan

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Lethargic all day long? Are you sleeping well enough?

If you are tired one day out of seven, that may be normal. However, if you are tired all day, every-day that could very well be a medical condition. The root cause of constant lethargy in several cases is often a lack of sleep. If you aren’t well rested during the night, your body simply will not have the energy for the coming day, after all, the very point of sleep is to act like a recharge mode of the body.

Now, you need to analyze why exactly it is that you aren’t getting enough sleep. If you’ve been facing severe pain in your neck, head and to some extent your teeth then it is likely you are afflicted by a condition known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.

Temporomandibular Joint is the joint that connects our upper and lower jaw. All the joints in our body begin to wear out at some point. Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is the condition wherein this particular joint begins to wear out causing pain in facial joint area, the teeth due to night grinding, neck and head. This may also manifest itself in the form of migraines.The discomfort caused by Temporomandibular Joint Disorder has been known to disturb the sleeping pattern in many patients.

If you or anyone you know may be experiencing these symptoms, please do reach out so we can get to the root of the problem and provide solutions.

Reviewed By : Dr Rajesh Raveendranathan
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Say goodbye to sleep disorder

Sleep disorders are various conditions that restrict the ability to sleep well regularly. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the major sleeping disorders and potentially a serious issue that is affecting lot of people.This disorder causes breathing to stop temporarily due to some obstruction. There could be multiple reason for OSA. While the person is asleep the throat muscles relax and blocks the airway or tongue moving back obstructing the airway due to narrow arch form which leads to the primary reason for obstructive sleep apnea. 

Symptoms of OSA
 People with sleep apnea will experience a lot of problems throughout the day, such as:

1.Drowsiness during day time
2.Lack of concentration during day time
3.Headache
4.Mood swings
5.Poor performance at the workplace or school
6.Hyperactivity in children
7.Disinterest in sex
8.Leg cramps
9.Night palpitations
10.High blood pressure
11.Snoring; loud or faint.
12.Clenching and grinding of teeth.
13.Restless Sleep.
14.Getting up often during sleep
15.Twisting and turning while Sleeping
16.Choking sensation during sleep.
17.Bed wetting in adults.
OSA could be a major reason for heart attacks.

Causes of OSA
 Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relaxes leading the tongue fall back and block the airway. This would lead to difficulty in breathing, and the person tends to wake up for a few seconds, which he/she will not remember the next day.

• Excess weight
• High blood pressure
• Narrow airway
• Smoking
• Nasal blockage
• Diabetes
• Hereditary factor
• Asthma
• Narrow arch form
• Previously treated Orthodontic patients with or without extraction.

Medical care
The aim of treating sleep apnea is to allow proper airflow during sleep. There are various measures to treat obstructive sleep apnea, such as:

• Weight loss
• Nasal decongestants
• Yoga
• Exercise regularly
• Quit smoking
• Try not to sleep on your back
• Avoid drinking alcohol several hours before you sleep

If these measures don’t improve the sleep pattern then, there are various treatments and few devices that could help treat obstructive sleep apnea.

1. Oral Devices like Silensor
2. DNA appliance
3. ALF
4. Maxillary Skeleton Expansion
5.Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) - this is managed with a face mask that is worn at night.

In the worse scenarios, doctors would recommend surgery. The most common type of surgery is Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), which involves the removal of extra tissues from the back of the throat, thus, enabling the airways to be open. There are other procedures as well to treat sleep apnea such as jaw surgery, upper airway stimulation, surgical opening in the neck, nasal surgery, removal of enlarged tonsils, and implants. 

Consult with a Sleep Specialist for more information.

Reviewed By : Dr Rajesh Raveendranathan
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Are TMJ and TMD the Same Thing?

With all the fancy medical jargon that we often hear said on television, it is absolutely reasonable for us to be confused about the above terms. TemporoMandibular Joint (TMJ)and TemporoMandibular Joint Disorders (TMD) are related in nature however they are distinct in condition.Simply put, TMJ is a part of the body and TMD is the medical condition that effects this part.

Temporomandibular Joint, is the joint that connects our upper and lower jaw and like other joints in our body, the TMJ also gradually wears out itself due to various reasons. This may happen at a younger age in some people owing to genetic and other factors. Since this condition is rare it does not get a lot of attention from people. Most people often spend their lives visiting ENTs and other specialists only to realize that their pain persists. The most important thing when you have TMD or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is to detect it early and fix it.

The usual signs that accompany someone that has Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is frequent migraines, neck pain and head ache, often times this persistent pain may be unexplained and no root cause would be identified. In such cases it is wise to consult a TMJ specialist.

If you or anyone you know could be suffering from TMD, please do reach out to us for further enquiries.

Reviewed By : Dr Rajesh Raveendranathan
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Misdiagnosing Ear Pain: Is It An Infection Or TMD?

Many people suffer from persistent ear pain even after trying medication and being ruled out any chances of having an ear infection. If you are one among them who have tried all sorts of medication and treatment options with minimal or no results, then your next consultation should be with a Temporomandibular Joint Specialist.

What Is TMJ?

 

The Temporomandibular Joint is the joint that connects the jaw to the skull. It is the joint that helps in the movement of the jaw which allows in chewing, eating and talking. When the joint is injured or damaged it leads to pain or disorder called Temporomandibular Joint syndrome (TMJS) or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD). TMJ is often called as “great imposter” because it shares so many symptoms with other conditions.

Causes Of TMD

 

• Misalignment of teeth or jaw
• Poor posture
• Teeth grinding
• Stress or anxiety
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Orthodontic braces
• Improper Dental implant or prosthesis.

TMD And Ear Pain:

 

Nearly 80% of people with TMD report ear symptoms with ear pain, ear fullness, tinnitus being the most common symptom. Ear pain due to TMD and ear infection often share overlapping symptoms that make it hard to diagnose the actual cause. The symptoms include:

• A sensation of ear fullness
• Tinnitus or buzzing in the ears
• Ear Pain
• Diminished hearing

However there are certain differentiating conditions to distinguish between an ear infection and TMD. An ear infection is not so common in adults compared to children; an infection is more likely if they have recently recovered from cold or flu. Moreover, people often experience discharge and odour coming from the ears which are not in the case with TMD. If none of the symptoms are present, the other signs to diagnose it as a TMD include:

• Aching ear pain accompanied by head and neck pain
• Difficulty or pain while chewing
• Locking of the joints making it difficult to open or close mouth
• If the symptoms are persistent and do not respond to antibiotics
• Aching facial pain

If you think TMD might be causing ear pain and other related symptoms book an appointment with The Right Bite Craniofacial Pain Care center, the only firm in India that promotes Neuromuscular Dentistry. They offer a permanent solution to the problem trough their copyrighted treatment regimes.

Reviewed By : Dr Rajesh Raveendranathan
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Do You Know Why It Is Important To Get An Immediate Treatment For Lock Jaws

Many consider oral issues as trivial cases and let 'time takeover' the problem. But by the time you realize the importance of treating your oral problems, it might have been too late. One such issue that is ignored by many is the case of locked jaws. Once you know more about the disorder, you will never consider it as trivial. Here's an informative description about Lock jaw.

What is Lock Jaw?

Lock Jaw is a disorder which causes improper functioning of the mouth where you are not able to open the mouth fully or close it. You may experience difficulties and pain or pressure while opening or closing the mouth. This disorder does not cause much harm but it can the pave way for other serious ailments. Lock Jaw is also called as Trismus.

What are the causes of Lock Jaw?

The fatal infection, tetanus is found out to be one of the main causes of lock jaw. Lock jaw occurs as one of the later stages of tetanus, after a while. Tetanus is not the only reason that causes lock jaw. Lock Jaw is also developed due to oral or jaw related issues too. That said, inflammation of the mouth is one of the major oral issues that cause lock jaw. Excess chewing or over mastication leads to inflammation of the mouth. The joints in the jaw can be affected by a disorder called Temporomandibular joint disorder, which in turn causes lock jaw. Other ailments like fever or illness that shows symptoms in the mouth can also cause this disorder. The reason is that the muscles of the jaw become exhausted due to the weak tissues and its swelling due to which it is unable to open the mouth fully resulting in lock jaw. One can also succumb to this disorder to a previous oral surgery and is common in people who've had their wisdom teeth removed.

What are the symptoms of lock jaw?

The common symptoms seen in the case of lock jaws are:

• The prime symptom, as mentioned before is the difficulty when opening or closing the mouth.
• You can also experience a tightness in your jaw.
• Weak swollen jaws is another symptom.

If you are experiencing these kinds of difficulties, consult a dentist immediately. Are you in search of a reliable place for getting the solution for mouth opening problems in Mumbai? Why don't you get your treatment for lock jaw in Bangalore from the best place? Yes, The Right Bite, in Bangalore has been providing phenomenal treatment for years now and has garnered the trust of thousands. They have an exceptionally brilliant team of dentists who delivers the best treatment with the support of modern technological advancements in the field. So, let's not wait any more.

Book an appointment at The Right Bite.

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