TMJ/TMD Disorder
Common symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD) include pain in the face, jaw, neck, shoulders, or ear when attempting to speak or chew, inability to open the mouth widely without pain or discomfort, tightening of the jaw in certain positions, popping and grating noises when the jaw moves, facial swelling, toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, ringing of the ears, and more. Although a case of TMD may not necessarily result in all of these symptoms, multiple or all symptoms can occur simultaneously in a case of TMD. In addition to painful and uncomfortable symptoms, TMD can also cause the function of the bite to become compromised, as well as a person’s oral health. The misalignment of the bite can cause adverse physical effects to the teeth, leading to degradation of the appearance of a patient’s smile.
