How much Do You Know about Jaw Pain?

TMJ Treatment in Hyderabad | TMJ Specialist in Hyderabad

Jaw pain can be very debilitating if it is not addressed in time. The jaw muscles and nerves become very sensitive and therefore it hurts when someone with jaw pain chews on hard foods or ice or any other hard food stuff. Whatever may be the case, don’t ignore your jaw pain whether it is mild or severe. The following information will help you know more about your jaw pain and help ensure that when you experience jaw pain you would not resort to any unconventional means of easing your pain. In addition, you will also explore various options for TMJ Treatment in Hyderabad.

How does jaw pain come?

Jaw pain could be due to stiffness in the jaw muscles or jaw joints or issues with the nerves in the jaw. In addition to these causes – one of the most important causes of jaw pain is a temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD. It is associated with a long-lasting jaw pain that affects either one or both the sides of your face. An intricate system of bones, muscles, ligaments, and discs forms the temporomandibular joint. It helps us talk, chew and yawn. Due to problems in any structure of the system, you can feel pain.

Symptoms associated with TMD

TMD is often associated with severe pain and the person who is suffering from it may have popping, clicking, or grating while opening or closing their mouth. In some cases, there is difficulty in opening and closing the mouth and you may feel as if the jaw is stuck closed or open. Sometimes, the affected individual may experience neck pain, swelling on the face, stiffness of jaw muscles, and headaches.

What Causes TMD?

In most cases, the exact cause is often unknown; however, a blow to the jaw, accidental injury, osteoarthritis in the jaw joint or rheumatoid arthritis in the joint; teeth grinding while sleeping during the night, and stress, can also affect jaw muscles and prompt pain. However, the exact role of stress is unclear.

Who is more likely to get TMD?

Though TMD can affect anyone at any age, adults are more likely to get it. Compare to men women are at least four times more likely to develop this condition than men. Several researchers are still trying to know the susceptibility of women to TMD and studying whether there is any link between female hormones and TMD. Furthermore, women falling under the age of 20 years and 40 years are more likely to get TMD.

How to Treat TMD? TMJ Treatment in Hyderabad

In the initial stages and as the first line of treatment doctors, dentists, or head and neck specialists recommend using cold or heat packs to relieve stiffness or stress in the jaw muscles and improve blood circulation – and for the patients who have the habit of grinding teeth, doctors recommend using mouth guards. If these measures do not work out, then medicines or pain medication, or muscle relaxants are prescribed. Several healthcare practitioners are using photo-biomodulations (a form of phototherapy involving the usage of LED lights and lasers) for easing inflammation and pain associated with TMD. If these procedures do not yield any results, then injections or surgical intervention is recommended. However, surgery is usually a last resort.

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