Τemporomandibular joint disorders
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the mandibular to the rest of the facial skull and it has the most complex anatomy of all the joints of our body, offering the lower jaw the ability to perform various movements during mastication.
Symptoms
TMJ disorders may cause severe pain, making it difficult to chew and even speak. The mandibular bone can also “lock” in an open or closed mouth position. The diagnosis, however, could be challenging, because diseases such as toothache of sinusitis could have similar symptoms.
In such cases, the advice of a dentist-prosthodontist could be valuable.
Treatment
There are various treatment options depending on the type of disorder and its severity. We usually start with conservative treatments such as hot or cold packs, soft diet and physical therapy exercises. The next option is the use of intraoral splint and/or medication.