TMJ - Headaches

Overcoming headaches caused by the displacement of the TMJ joints.

The Temporo Mandibular Joint (TMJ) is the medical name given to the jaw joint. It is made up of the lower jaw, which rotates and moves against a disc in the skull by the ear. If the lower jaw becomes displaced then the disc can come away from the correct position and dislocate, causing a clicking and grating noise when the mouth opens and you chew. Once dislocation occurs symptoms such as headaches, migraines, neck ache, tinnitus (ringing in your ear), fatigue and pain when chewing are caused to name but a few. Also this can result in patients grinding their teeth at night and having difficulty opening their jaw wide.

Treatment can involve either wearing bite guards at night time and braces on the teeth in order to realign the jaw into its correct position or simple re-shaping of several teeth (occlusal equilibration) so that your bite improves and your muscles joints and teeth work together – not against each other. In most cases the result of this treatment is that headaches and migraines disappear.

If you are suffering from any of the following you may have TMJ problems.

• Headaches / Migraines
• Jaw joint clicking or grating
• Jaw clenching / Bruxism (teeth grinding)
• Unusual facial pain and neuralgias
• Facial muscle aches
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Ear pain, tinnitus, hearing loss

Whiplash injuries

If you have been unfortunate enough to have experienced a car crash, then the following articles may interest you. Click on the title of the document to download.

• Dental Complications of a Whiplash Injury (part 4)
• Diagnosing Dental Whiplash Injury (part 3)
• Prevalence of dental complications due to the effect of whiplash injuries in road traffic accidents

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