TMJ Pain

TMJ, it's a common word. TMJ is a joint. TMJ is the jaw joint that connects that lower jaw to the skull. And it's a very complex joint because the left and the right are connected. Think about if your right foot and your left foot are connected with two joints. Now, that's what the TMJ is. What happens to one side of the mouth can affect the other one. And also the lower jaw is being completely just controlled by muscles. So, if something is going on with the muscles, it can affect the joint. And also that joint is so close to your ear canal that sometimes when people have problems with their TMJ, first thing they think about that they have an ear infection. So it's a very complex joint. And in short, that's why it's called a TMJ, temporomandibular joint. But when it's affected, it's actually a temporomandibular disorder. Most of the time, I mean, people with TMJ pain, they will complain of headaches, clicking joint pain, and sometimes people get locked jaw. So there are different things that happen to different patient. So, depending on what it is, I mean, the treatment is very specific. And in most cases, that patient have to wear some kind of splint or an orthotic. And the orthotic is also part of the diagnosis wherein that splint or orthotic, hopefully it relieves the pain or the symptoms. And once the pain or the symptoms are relieved by that splint, then now it's a matter of how do we get the patient to this new bite? And that could involve varying different treatments also discussed by a dentist.