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PATIENT INFORMATION - TMD DEFINITION

TMJ is your jaw joint. TMD is a disorder of those jaw joints. "TMD" stands for "temporomandibular disorder", and is often referred to as "TMJ", an abbreviation for "temporomandibular joint". TMD or TMJ refers to problems related to pain and improper functioning of:

Your jaw joints (which are among the most complex joints in the human body)
Muscles, bones, ligaments and/or cartilage surrounding your jaw joints
Associated structures in your face, head, neck, and upper back

TMD is a medical problem. It can arise due to problems with your bite, muscle strain or imbalances, or damage to tissues in the head, neck and facial area. Displacement of the disk in your TMJ can be a permanent condition which may be controlled with proper care.

TMD is often a chronic and frequently degenerative disease. That is why it is important for anyone who is experiencing symptoms – headaches, earaches, dizziness, eye pain, blurred vision, excessive tears without crying and clicking or popping in the jaw joints – to schedule an appointment for a consultation with a qualified dental professional. Seeing your regular dentist may not be sufficient, since all dentists do not have the appropriate training or expertise. This is also true of medical professionals who, like many dentists, frequently refer patients to us in order to rule out (or rule in) a TMD problem when making a differential diagnosis.

The sooner TMD is accurately diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. TMJ dysfunction is a condition which can have a progressive nature; left untreated, patients may experience unfavorable changes that can result in irreversible damage to the structure of the jaw joint. Although there is no "cure" for TMD, many patients experience relief of their symptoms shortly after beginning treatment. In addition, more than 95% of all patients can be treated successfully and without surgery of any kind!

SYMPTOMS

TMD is often called "the great imposter" because its signs and symptoms can mimic dozens of other disorders. TMD can have a single cause or many causes. In addition, TMD can often coexist with other potentially related disorders. That’s why symptoms vary among patients, making this medical condition difficult for even a skilled physician to diagnose.

Most people who suffer from TMJ dysfunction will not have all of these symptoms. Also, most of these symptoms may be TMD related, related solely to other medical problems, related to multiple causes, or may be cross related to both TMD and something else, and they can both aggravate each other.

TMJ CLICKING... is a common symptom of a TMJ disorder in some people. This clicking sound may be so loud that others can hear it while you chew. There may or may not be pain in the joint itself with the sound of a click or pop. But, one thing is for sure; if there is a displaced disc, as is usually the case when a click occurs, then the muscles that move the jaw while chewing are more tense than normal. This tenseness can and does cause muscle, facial, head and neck pain.

TMJ LOCKING… may be noticed simply by the catching of the lower jaw as it opens. Sometimes, the person with a locked joint must move the jaw to one side or another in order to open wide. Or, a person might have to open until a loud pop is felt or heard, at which point, the jaw actually unlocks.



Home About Us In the News Sleep Apnea Introduction What is it? Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment TMD - Jaw Disorder Patients \| Definition Patients \| Causes Patients \| Treatment Physicians \| Causes FAQ's Patient Forms Map / Directions Contact Us Related Links St. John Hospital Henry Ford Hospital Great Lakes Sleep Diagnostics	PATIENT INFORMATION - TMD DEFINITION Definition \| Causes \| Treatment TMJ is your jaw joint. TMD is a disorder of those jaw joints. "TMD" stands for "temporomandibular disorder", and is often referred to as "TMJ", an abbreviation for "temporomandibular joint". TMD or TMJ refers to problems related to pain and improper functioning of: Your jaw joints (which are among the most complex joints in the human body) Muscles, bones, ligaments and/or cartilage surrounding your jaw joints Associated structures in your face, head, neck, and upper back TMD is a medical problem. It can arise due to problems with your bite, muscle strain or imbalances, or damage to tissues in the head, neck and facial area. Displacement of the disk in your TMJ can be a permanent condition which may be controlled with proper care. *TMD is often a chronic and frequently degenerative disease. That is why it is important for anyone who is experiencing symptoms – headaches, earaches, dizziness, eye pain, blurred vision, excessive tears without crying and clicking or popping in the jaw joints – to schedule an appointment for a consultation with a qualified dental professional. Seeing your regular dentist may not be sufficient, since all dentists do not have the appropriate training or expertise. This is also true of medical professionals who, like many dentists, frequently refer patients to us in order to rule out (or rule in) a TMD problem when making a differential diagnosis. The sooner TMD is accurately diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. TMJ dysfunction is a condition which can have a progressive nature; left untreated, patients may experience unfavorable changes that can result in irreversible damage to the structure of the jaw joint. Although there is no "cure" for TMD, many patients experience relief of their symptoms shortly after beginning treatment. In addition, more than 95% of all patients can be treated successfully and without surgery of any kind! SYMPTOMS* TMD is often called "the great imposter" because its signs and symptoms can mimic dozens of other disorders. TMD can have a single cause or many causes. In addition, TMD can often coexist with other potentially related disorders. That’s why symptoms vary among patients, making this medical condition difficult for even a skilled physician to diagnose. Most people who suffer from TMJ dysfunction will not have all of these symptoms. Also, most of these symptoms may be TMD related, related solely to other medical problems, related to multiple causes, or may be cross related to both TMD and something else, and they can both aggravate each other. TMJ CLICKING... is a common symptom of a TMJ disorder in some people. This clicking sound may be so loud that others can hear it while you chew. There may or may not be pain in the joint itself with the sound of a click or pop. But, one thing is for sure; if there is a displaced disc, as is usually the case when a click occurs, then the muscles that move the jaw while chewing are more tense than normal. This tenseness can and does cause muscle, facial, head and neck pain. TMJ LOCKING… may be noticed simply by the catching of the lower jaw as it opens. Sometimes, the person with a locked joint must move the jaw to one side or another in order to open wide. Or, a person might have to open until a loud pop is felt or heard, at which point, the jaw actually unlocks.
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