Temporomandibular joint disorders or TMJ disorders can be quite serious. They can cause a great deal of discomfort that can negatively affect a person’s quality of life. Below is some general information on TMJ disorders and what you should know about the condition.
Some of the important causes of TMJ disorders are the overuse of the temporomandibular joint, tension in the jaw, stress or anxiety, and the tightening of the jaw or clenching of the teeth. Sometimes there is a misalignment of the upper and lower joints due to the aftermath of inflammation. This inflammation is caused by arthritis or sometimes by accidents. Both of which can lead to TMJ disorders.
TMJ disorders occur as a result of structural problems inside the jaw joint. Tension might also be a form of inner anxiety. Activities causing stress such as gum chewing and teeth grinding would be examples of this. Jaw injuries are most commonly due to sport accidents, which cause misalignment of the jaw joint.
A person will not see the development of a TMJ disorder overnight. It can take a long time to develop and in some cases, people with a TMJ disorder become predisposed in their earlier years. Some people are born with birth defects that affect the jaw alignment. Bone damage due to jaw injury in the past, jaws that are displaced by wrongly positioned discs, tumors, or inflammation of the jaw due to a degenerative disease (like rheumatoid arthritis) can all be possible leads to the beginnings of a TMJ disorder.
By receiving regular dental checkups, TMJ disorders can be spotted and treated early on as well. The importance of these regular dental checkups cannot be overemphasized as they serve as the potential healthiness of your teeth.
For more information on TMJ, contact Nicholas J. Meyer, DDS. Dr. Meyer is an Arizona TMJ dentist specializes on solving chronic sharp head pain expert in Scottsdale and Phoenix at Millenium Dental Associates, call (480) 948-0560 or visit www.milldental.com.
Article source: ArticleBlast.com
