TMJ Side Effects and Risks - Important Info

At our cosmetic dentistry office in Connecticut, TMJ side effects and risks may be complicated and affect multiple muscles and create various symptoms. TMJ is an illness that is used to describe the dislocation or misalignment of the temporomandibular joint, which is located directly in front of the ear. This joint connects the upper and lower jaw. There are many parts of the TMJ joint and this joint is used throughout the entire day to talk, yawn, bite and chew.  A TMJ pain disorder can occur when there is an unbalanced activity from the overuse of the jaw muscles. There are TMJ side effects and risks.

TMJ side effects and risks can include headaches. Headaches affect approximately eighty percent of people who are experiencing a TMJ disorder. Forty percent of people experiencing TMJ disorders complain of facial pain which is worse when they open or closed their mouth. The extreme cold can cause additional muscle contractions and facial pain.

TMJ side effects and risks can also include ear pain, sounds, dizziness, fullness of the ear, and ringing in the ear. Fifty percent of patients have expressed noticeable ear pain without a sign of infection. Sounds such as grinding, crunching, and popping are also commonly experienced by persons diagnosed with a TMJ disorder. Dizziness is mentioned by forty percent of patients. This dizziness is usually accompanied it with a sense of imbalance. Patients with TMJ disorder have described experiencing the sensation of having muffled, clogged, or full ears. Approximately thirty-three percent of patients express their concern over this side effect. Ringing in the ear is also known as tinnitus. Thirty-three percent of patients experience this ringing and half of these patients have resolution of this side effect after receiving successful treatment for their TMJ disorder.

TMJ side effects and risks can be treated effectively by Steven M. Balloch DDS, a Connecticut TMJ specialist. There are several treatments available depending on the symptoms as well as the degree of the TMJ illness being experienced. Your dentist may need to take x-rays of your jaw line as well as examine your mouth. There are sometimes very simple solutions such as wearing a mouth guard while sleeping to prevent the clinching of the teeth during sleep. Your dentist will be able to properly diagnose and determine the cause of the TMJ side effects and risks that you may be experiencing.

To learn more about TMJ as well as other dental procedures, be sure to visit our Hartford, Connecticut cosmetic dentistry office.