Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a lot more common than most people would probably assume, and it’s also much more debilitating than previously assumed. TMJ disorder is incredibly painful for people, and it unfortunately develops a negative ripple effect towards an individual’s head, brain, neck and entire body.
We’ve partnered up with Dallas Surgical Arts, a tmj specialist dallas, to help us develop this list of common symptoms oriented around TMJ disorder. These types of symptoms and warning signs are important for everyone to keep in mind, because you’ll never know that you or your loved one is developing TMJ disorder without being proactive about what to look out for!
So here are some of the common signs of TMJ disorder that you should be aware of:
Jaw Pain
The TMJ joint is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull, so naturally one of the most common symptoms would be persistent jaw pain. Although certain jaw pains are normal every now and again, it’s very concerning when someone is experiencing jaw pain on a daily basis and the pain doesn’t seem to get better with pain relievers and time.
Headaches
Because your TMJ is directly connected to your head and skull bones, any aggravation within these muscles can end up spreading towards your head. Jaw pain of this magnitude can subsequently result in serious headaches and migraines that can seem unbearable, which is why it’s important for people to try to get to the root cause of their headaches instead of just toughening it out every time one comes up!
Jaw Sounds
Jaws can potentially make all sorts of different sounds, like grinding, clicking and popping sounds as an individual chews food and opens/closes their mouth. These sounds may evoke pain or not, but nevertheless these sounds are a troubling sign that an individual is at the very least developing early stage TMJ disorder.
Teeth Problems
When someone is experiencing TMJ pain, this pain can then spread to the person’s teeth. Many times TMJ disorder will lead to improper teeth wearing, which can also lead to cracked/chipped teeth.
Bite Problems
Many times, TMJ disorder is a consequence of improper jaw alignment that wasn’t corrected when an individual was younger via orthodontic treatment. When your jaw is misaligned, it will subsequently lead to improper chewing that then can lead to many other types of oral pains.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is often referred to as “a ringing in the ears”, which means the person will consistently hear high-pitched frequencies even when they’re not actually present. It’s becoming well-known today that tinnitus is a common symptom of TMJ pain, and this is largely because your ears and jaws are completely interconnected.
Upper Back Pain
Your jaw muscles are incredibly important when it comes to properly aligning your neck and head, so any jaw pain can lead to misalignment in the neck that then spreads down towards your upper back area. If you’re experiencing any jaw pains along with pain in your neck, shoulders and upper back region, then it’s a clear warning sign that you’re in fact experiencing serious TMJ pains that need to be professionally addressed.
Reach Out To The TMJ Specialists at Dallas Surgical Arts to Learn More!
There certainly is a lot that people need to learn when it comes to TMJ disorder, and recognizing the clear symptoms and warning signs is generally just the beginning of your treatment journey.
The good news is that there are plenty of experienced TMJ specialists around the United States that can support individuals undergoing this type of serious pain, and you can learn more about TMJ disorder and treatment options by speaking directly with the Dallas Surgical Arts team via the link at the top of the article!
