JAW DISORDERS

During recent years dentists throughout the world have become more aware of 
the problems that can originate with the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint).
It's not uncommon for people suffering from temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
disorders to first consult a medical practitioner with complaints of pain,
usually on one side of the face and neck.  In some cases the pain is intense
and may be in the region of the joint (just in front of the ear) making chewing
painful and difficult. Frequently the sufferer is unable to open his or her jaw
wide enough to insert normal amounts of food - instead, the food has to be cut
up into tiny portions.
Diagnosis can be difficult as the associated pain may not be restricted to 
the area of the joint but may  be referred to almost any part of the head and
neck.  Other complaints include constant or repeated headaches, clicking in 
the jaw joints, apparent attacks of migraine and even the symptoms of a 
toothache and earache.  The underlying cause of temporomandibular joint
disorders can usually be attributed to stress.

HOW DO PROBLEMS START?

The jaws are controlled by a very fine balance between many muscles and
of the head and neck which act together. Some of these muscles contract while
others expand in various movements of the jaws. 
Because of interference to this normal balance of the muscles due to stress or
anxiety, the lower jaw deviates slightly and the joint is thrown out of balance.
If this is repeated often enough, one or more of the muscles may go into spasm
(like a cramp in a leg muscle) giving rise to pain.

The bite, or the way in which upper and lower teeth mesh together plays an 
important role in way TMJ problems begin to establish themselves.
If the upper and lower teeth do not mesh correctly, they cause interference
to the smooth chewing motion of the jaw and the joint. This in turn may
trigger muscle spasms in other areas of the head and neck.
 

TREATING TMJ PROBLEMS

Once the problem has been diagnosed, the pain can often be stopped 
temporarily if the interferences in the bite are eliminated.
If the meshing of the teeth is at fault, careful grinding down of the
offending areas may achieve the required result.
For some patients, it may be necessary for the dentist to make a small 
plastic appliance, called a bite plate, or splint which fits over the biting
surfaces of the teeth.  The appliance is usually worn at night and, in some
cases, during the day as well.  The bite plate has the effect of separating the
biting surfaces of the upper and lower jaws, thereby eliminating the
interferences between the teeth and allowing the jaw muscles to relax. 
Once these muscles relax the pain usually disappears. 
To achieve a lasting result it may be necessary for the dentist to replace
fillings or make a new denture.
In most cases the patient will need to understand that stress is usually the
underlying cause of there complaint. Removal of the source of the stress
will cure many ills. Unfortunately in this modern world it may not be possible
to eliminate the source of the stress such as that associated with some jobs.
Once one is aware of the problem, there are ways of dealing with stress,
from simple self help methods to professional help provided by a counseller
such as a medical practitioner or psychologist.