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Do You Have TMJ? What are the most typical TMJ Symptoms?
The TMJ joint is located in the jaws and acts as a hinge to open and close your mouth. The joint attaches to your skull. If you routinely have pain in your jaws, you might have a TMJ disorder. If the pain persists or gets worse, you’ll need TMJ surgery treatment from a TMJ specialist.
- The primary symptoms of TMJ include:
- Jaw pain.
- Clicking and grating sound coming from your jaws.
- Pain in a TMJ joint.
- Pain around your ears.
- Problems chewing or swallowing.
- Facial discomfort.
- In the worst cases, your jaw may lock. When this happens, your mouth might not open or close all the way.
When some common sense treatments don’t work, it’s time to rely on a TMJ specialist for some real answers to your jaw pain. One of these answers might include TMJ jaw surgery done by an expert.
What Causes TMJ?
There might be no specific cause for your jaw issues. Some events can also cause TMJ, such as a jaw injury which leads to TMJ disorder. The TMJ disc becomes misaligned or erodes over time. Grinding or clenching your teeth is a common cause. Finally, arthritis can play a role in developing the disease or simply making a bad situation worse.
As damage continues to increase in your jaws, you and your TMJ specialist might consider TMJ jaw surgery to keep your mouth hinges working appropriately.
About TMJ Jaw Surgery
The types of jaw surgeries to treat TMJ include arthroscopy, modified condylotomy, and open-joint jaw surgery. Please discuss all aspects of any procedure with your TMJ specialist before you proceed. Here’s a short explanation of each procedure:
Arthrocentisis.
A cannula (thin tube) becomes placed in the joint of the jaw. Fluid gets put into the joint to reduce jaw pressure and stiffness. The range of motion can also become restored using this procedure. Arthrocentisis has an 80 percent success rate, and remains minimally invasive, making it a prime choice for treating TMJ.
TMJ arthroscopy.
During this process, a thin tube called a cannula becomes placed into space in the jaw joint. An arthroscope gets put into the tube, and tiny surgical instruments get used during the surgery. This procedure remains relatively risk-free and tends to have excellent results.
Modified condylotomy.
This surgery is on the mandible rather than in the TMJ joint itself. If you have chronic jaw pain or problems with your jaws locking up, a modified condylotomy might work well for you.
Open-joint surgery (Arthrotomy).
If there’s a structural problem in your jaw’s joint, your TMJ expert might recommend arthrotomy. Open-joint jaw surgery might work well, but it does contain more risks than other jaw surgeries.
If your standard TMJ treatments don’t work anymore, or if your pain levels suddenly become worse, please talk to your TMJ specialist on using surgery to help you feel better and improve or relieve your pain levels. Contact us online or by phone at 480-539-6420.