[MERGED] Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ( TMD )

[gudnytmoon]

*** about "popping" jaws? early in the morning, when i eat, i can feel my jaws "pop". is this bad? it usually goes away though. na-notice ko lang, when i eat early in the morning

[jaeze]

i had mine done by dra fandialan. expensive sya coz i needed braces and 3 porcelain teeth. kasi i have 3 teeth congenially missing.abot yata ng 120T ang braces ko tsaka yung teeth. her clinic is in commonwealth quezon city, 3rd floor of kc tower. kc is the one beside isuzu commonwealth.

[orangekissing]

TMJ ***** yan.....visit an orthodontist

[benetton06]

TMJ ano yon?

[The Phoenix]

TMJ ***** yan.....visit an orthodontist

TMJ ano yon?

It's not called TMJ, it's alled "TMJ Dysfunction". TMJ stands for Temporo-mandibular joint (right and left), which is the joint that moves when you open or close your mouth. Anatomically speaking, evryone has a TMJ. But not everyone has problems with their TMJ, and if they do, the condition is then called "TMJ Dysfunction".

Ideally an ENT specialist should be the first healthcare person you should see. He has to determine first if your TMJ is normal or has some anatomic variants leading to instability of your TMJ everytime it opens/closes. Which may be the main cause of your problem. Poor teeth alignment is only one of the causes of TMJ dysfunction. If that is determined to be the cause, after your TMJ is assessed to be "normal", then you can have your teeth/overbite/underbite corrected by the Orthodontist.

[enchiladas]

TMJ is your TemporoMandibular Joint. The joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull.

[The Phoenix]

if you literally meant a "headache" - then I can't see any reason how tmj dysfunction is related to it. If you figuratively meant headache as a problem, then read on.....

Ideally an ENT specialist should be the first healthcare person you should see. He has to determine first if your TMJ is normal or has some anatomic variants leading to instability of your TMJ everytime it opens/closes. Which may be the main cause of your problem. Poor teeth alignment is only one of the causes of TMJ dysfunction. If that is determined to be the cause, after your TMJ is assessed to be "normal", then you can have your teeth/overbite/underbite corrected by the Orthodontist. As you can see, the cost of bite and teeth alignment correction is expensive. So you have to make sure beforehand that it is really the teeth and bite that is causing the TMJ dysfunction, only to find out it is not, after investing so much. Not to many dentists and orthodontists understand the mechanics of jaw motion (at least in my dealings with some of them in our discussions regarding TMJ dysfunction and I am not an ENT) and would simply recommend braces and bite correction as a matter of standard treatment. Also, not all ENT specialists will also be adept in assesing TMJ dysfunction. So you'll have to shop around really.

[YoniPYokA]

ilang beses na nangyari sa kin yan laging nag la lack jaw. kulang ka rin ***** sa CALCIUM. dati nong d pa ako umiinom ng Caltrate Plus d ko makagat kahit mansanas dahil nga laging sumasakit ang panga ko tapos pag napalaki ang buka ng bibig Lack Jaw na...

calcium lang ang katapat nyan... ngayon ultimo bayabas nakakagat ko na at never na ako na LackJaw

[gudnytmoon]

thanks everyone for all your replies.
mejo tamad ako magpunta ako sa doctor. or make that, takot.
if the popping (or TMJ dysfunction) goes away after a while, siguro di naman siya life-threatening no?

i can't take calcium tablets because i have a spur in my heel. the doc said taking calcium supplements will just worsen it.

[nailbiter]

I went to an ENT once to consult re: TMJ dysfunction. He just gave me a pain killer and told me to see an orthodontist. Any recommendations on particular ENTs who could assess TMJ dysfunction?

[Chase_Meridian]

Is this the same as being a "tongue thruster"?

[smilewarrior]

It's not. Tongue thrusting is a manuever made by people who have an anterior open bite ( meaning even when there back teeth already contact, there is still a very big space between the upper and lower front teeth).

Placing there tongue forward becomes necessary in order to create a seal so that they can swallow. It is normal for young individuals ( particularly below the age of one). It is not normal in adults.

[chloe_mhoe]

hi doc, ano po dapat gawin pag may lockjaw? thanx

[Ira]

See an ENT. It may be due to TMJ dysfunction, which requires actual physical manipulation to put the joint back to normal.

[YoniPYokA]

almost 2-3 times a week my jaw always lock. I cant open wide my mouth, i feel some pain on my jaw specially on the joint.
lockjaw is a sign of low Calcium before I cant bite even an apple. I just take 500 mg each day of Caltrate Plus no more lockjaw and now i can bite a Guava.


just my experience hope this help

[Ira]

Lockjaw is not a sign of low calcium.

[cupcake]

un lockjaw ba kapag tumutunog ka habang ngumunguya......

[smilewarrior]

Clicking (meaning a sudden popping sound), without any other associated symptoms, does not necessarily signify something is wrong with the temporomandibular joint.

If limitation of jaw movement ( meaning difficulty in opening, closing or side/lateral movements) and moderately tolerable to intolerable pain with or without clicking is noticed, a temporomandibular problem may be present.

[smilewarrior]

Osteoporosis may not necessarily lead to tmj problems but it can exacerbate an already existing tmj problem.

Women over 50 experiencing tmj symptoms associated with the occlusion of the teeth should consult a rheumatologist and have their bone density checked.

Anti-resorptive medications may help in that they prevent further "shortening" of the involved mandibular condyle, leading to less progression of jaw asymmetries and less pressure on the joint.

[pancit_luglog]

hi doc.. before, i had a severe lockjaw.. as in hindi ako makapag chew ng food... but after one month, nawala naman siya.. but lately, i've noticed that i got this lockjaw again, but not as severe as before.. should i visit an ENT?