Causes and Diagnosis of TMD / TMJ
Northern Virginia, including Arlington, Tysons Corner, Alexandria, Fairfax, and McLean, Virginia Neuromuscular Dentistry
Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, is a common condition that is estimated to affect five to twelve percent of Americans, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. At Galleria Dental Aesthetics, our neuromuscular dentists have completed extensive training at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) to provide our patients with relief from painful disorders of the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ.
Possible Causes of TMD
It is not always possible to pinpoint the exact cause of TMD. The complexities of the temporomandibular joint allow you to open and close your mouth to eat, speak and yawn through a pseudo ball and socket hinge apparatus and a shock-absorbing disc. When there is any damage to this area, TMJ disorders can occur.
Conditions that can lead to TMD include:
- Trauma to the joint
- Erosion or shifting of the shock-absorbing disc
- Damage to the cartilage covering the bones around the joint
- Fatigue of the muscles surrounding the joint
- Malaligned bite (malocclusion)
There are circumstances that can cause trauma or damage to the temporomandibular joint:
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Jaw clenching
- Accident or injury
- Stress
- Osteoarthritis
- Degenerative joint disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Diagnosis of TMD
Just as it is not always easy to identify the cause of TMD, it will most likely take the evaluation of both medical and dental doctors to fully diagnose TMD. Physical and oral examinations can help determine if the symptoms you are exhibiting are truly those of damage to the TMJ. The examination and diagnostic studies may include:
- X-rays
- CT scans
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Head and neck exams
- Oral exams, including bite alignment and joint range of motion
- TENS unit to fully relax the jaw muscles
- Myotronics K7 to determine optimal jaw positioning
- Electromyography
- Sonography
Once TMD has been diagnosed, TMJ treatment options can be discussed and explored. In some cases, the TMD symptoms may simply disappear when the patient begins certain home remedies or lifestyle changes. Of course, not everyone is so lucky and some require the assistance of medications, dental therapies or even surgery to correct the jaw malalignment and alleviate painful TMD symptoms such as headaches that are so severe many people erroneously think they are migraine headaches.
Neuromuscular dentists, Dr. Lee and Dr. Oh, are committed to helping their patients live a better quality of life through TMD diagnosis and treatment.
If you or a loved one is suffering from painful TMD/TMJ symptoms and you are in the Arlington, Tysons Corner, or McLean, Virginia area, please contact the experienced neuromuscular dentists at Galleria Dental Aesthetics, located in Tysons Corner, today to start on the road to relief.
