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The name, TMJ disorder, hints at the fact that the disorder mainly affects your jaw health and bite function. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, and when the disorder that’s named after it affects the two joints that control your jaw’s movement when your bite functions. However, that can sometimes be the only hint at what, exactly, TMJ disorder means for your oral health. Because of the dominance of your TMJs and the nerves that control them, TMJ disorder can manifest in multiple different symptoms that might not immediately be obvious as a jaw problem.

Your bite function seems to diminish

When your TMJs are healthy and functioning properly, you hardly notice their presence. As they function, your TMJs should move in tandem to open and close your bite, allowing it to move as needed with no complications or discomfort. However, this relies on balance and several different aspects of your oral health working together, as well. When your TMJs are compromised in some way, the function of your bite may be the first clue that there’s a problem. You may experience trouble keeping your lower jaw straight as you bite and chew your food, or experience popping and clicking in your TMJs when you open and close your mouth.

You develop aches and pains that seem unrelated

If your TMJ disorder has reached a point that it interferes with your bite’s proper function, it’s more likely that it will also cause one or more other chronic aches or pains to develop, as well. The problem with identifying these aches and pains as TMJ-related is that they won’t always seem directly tied to your jaw health or bite function. They’re the result of the discomfort from your TMJ disorder aggravating your dominant trigeminal nerves, which can lead to symptoms such as severe, chronic headaches and migraines, pain and ringing in your ears, sore muscles in your neck and shoulders, and much more.

You start grinding your teeth a lot more often

Some symptoms of TMJ disorder don’t seem related to your oral health, while others can seem like entirely different oral health problems. For example, in addition to the chronic aches and pains that TMJ disorder can cause, you might also develop related conditions such as bruxism, or the chronic grinding of your teeth. The overall imbalance in your bite function and discomfort in your jaw joints can cause you to consistently grind your teeth together, and if the condition isn’t treated promptly, you may risk extensive damage to your natural tooth structure.

Learn if you can benefit from TMJ treatment

When you develop TMJ disorder, determining the source of your various symptoms can be difficult without help from your dentist. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA, today at (319) 364-7108.