The answer is YES!!! Everyone has TMJs. Temporo Mandibular Joints. They’re located just in front of the ear on each side of the head. Feel them–open your teeth slightly and place your fingers right in front of the ear hole and wiggle your lower jaw around. You’ll feel them active beneath the ball of your finger. They support the mandible (lower jaw) on the skull. No other joints quite like them in the whole body. Not only do they rotate, but they also translate down and forward. Anatomists call them a ginglymo-arthroidal joints due to their ability to rotate AND translate.
Right! Okay, so I’m being a bit facetious about “TMJ.” The real question is: Got TMD? TemporoMandibular Dysfunction!! Now, we’ve got something to talk about!! Some sources say that “TMD” stands for “Too Much Disagreement!” The reason for that anacronym is there seems to be controversy out there between various camps about the nature of TMD. The undergraduate curriculums in dental schools don’t spend much time on occlusion(How teeth fit and function) because, quite frankly, the students have their hands full just learning the basics of treating tooth decay and gum disease. That’s pretty sad, because often TMD springs from the teeth and muscles being out of harmony (malocclusion) and indirectly contributes to gum disease and tooth decay, and the average dentist feels rather overwhelmed trying to make sense of occlusion and TMJ. But I digress…..
TMD has to do with dysfunction of upper quadrant musculature, (Head, neck, shoulders, upper back, etc.), TMJs and the bony parts of the mandible or lower jaw. What kind of dysfunction? Headaches, neckaches, ear pain or chronic stuffiness, pops and clicks in the joint proper, grinding noises in the joints when chewing, upper neck, back and shoulder pain, even pain between the shoulder blades. Sometimes even the range of motion can be affected, like difficulty looking both ways over your shoulder before leaving a traffic signal, for instance. Or difficulty with opening wide enough for a hero sandwich. Even jaws getting tired chewing gum or a chewy piece of meat. (As Dave Barry used to say: “I am NOT making this up!”)
So—Got TMD?? What should you do? One thing’s for sure, if there is pain on a regular basis around these areas, taking Aleve, Motrin, or Advil is NOT a long-term solution that’s in your best interests. These remedies are for occasional discomfort. You don’t have an ibuprofen deficiency! It might be a good idea to seek someone out who knows something about TMD. I’d suggest interviewing a dentist who claims to know something about TMD. In my own case, it took me about ten years to “get it in my tissues”, so to speak, with literally hundreds of postgraduate hours. It’s a fascinating field, but there is a lot to know, and there’s always more to know!!
In Got TMJ, Part II we’ll talk more about this condition.
To your health!! Dr. R.
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Thanks for your kind comment! I’m passionate about the subject of health-centered dentistry and the health-centered lifestyle in general. I’m glad it’s getting read! THR
Thanks a million! THR
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Read the rest of the series. Thanks for your feedback!! THR
You’re entirely welcome!! THR
Hang in for the whole series on this–there are six parts. Thanks!! THR
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Please the whole series on TMJ/TMD, and thanks for your comment!! THR
Thanks for being a fan–stay with us! Much more to come!! THR
Thanks for your comment–please read the entire series on TMJ. THR
Thanks!! Do come back!! THR
Thanks!! Read the whole series! THR