TMJ/TMD

In a condition commonly referred to as TMJ, a patient may experience an array of unpleasant symptoms. In reality, TMJ is the term for the temporomandibular joints, which are located at each side of the jaw, where this bone meets the skull. It is through the TMJs that we are able to speak, chew, and perform pivoting, sliding movement with the jaw. In some, these joints become irritated and compromised, called temporomandibular disorder, or TMD, which will remain or possibly worsen until treatment is received.

The exact symptoms that accompany TMD can vary from person to person, as no two of us are exactly alike. There are some general symptoms that tend to occur, such as:

• Discomfort when chewing
• Teeth become worn down
• Teeth loosen in the absence of gum disease
• The jaw pops or clicks
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Jaw pain
• Facial pain
• Changes in bite
• Difficulty in chewing, or discomfort when doing so