Over the last few years I have started to suffer from Bruxism which is grinding of the teeth. (I have to use a mouth guard while asleep). While I was investigating my symptoms I discovered that they were associated with TemporoMandibular joint and muscle disorders. So I thought that a blog post of the subject would be useful.
TemporoMandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ) are a set of medical problems which can
Bruxism is tooth grinding
cause pain and malfunctioning of the jaw joint and the muscles that control the movement of the jaw. For many of us pain in the jaw does not represent a big problem. Normally any discomfort from these conditions is temporary, though it can often occur in cycles. Hopefully your pain should go away with little or no treatment. That being said a few people with TMJ will develop serious and chronic symptoms.
These can include:
- Jaw pain
- Stiffness of the jaw
- Headaches
- Sensitive teeth
- Difficulty in opening the mouth.
- Eating hard foods can be painful.
- Awareness of grinding/clenching teeth
We are posting this blog on TMJ because we are interested in the opinions and experiences of people like me who have some of the symptoms.
In particular we interested in your answers to the following questions:-
- At what age did you start to suffer from TMJ disorder?
- What were the symptoms?
- How were you diagnosed? Was it your PCP or maybe your dentist? Were you referred to a specialist?
- What treatments have you used and how effective are they?
- What impact, if any, has it had on your lifestyle in general?
Thanks very much in advance for your help. It would be great if you could use the comments box below to answer any of these questions or share links.