Many people have had the experience of jaw "clicking" when eating and yawning, most of which do not bring obvious discomfort, but there are also some people who have a long "click" of the jaw, and even accompanied by headaches, tinnitus and other symptoms, so what is going on?
In fact, the phenomenon of "clicking" of the lower jaw is medically known as "temporomandibular joint disorder".
This is an oral and maxillofacial disease, in addition to the appearance of the symptoms of the jaw "clicking", temporomandibular joint disorder will also have the following manifestations, if you also have, you should go to the hospital in time to confirm and treat, otherwise the later stage may affect the chewing, bite and other functions!
1. Abnormal jaw movement
Including the degree of opening and the abnormal opening type, the abnormal opening degree mainly includes the limited opening and excessive opening, while the opening abnormality mainly refers to the deviation of the jaw movement trajectory during the opening process.
2. Joint bouncing and pain
In patients with temporomandibular joint disorders, in addition to the "clicking" sound of the joints when opening the mouth, the joints will also have pain during the opening, closing or chewing process, and the pain can spread to the half of the side.
What causes a temporomandibular joint disorder?
1. Poor posture
Many office workers need to use the computer for a long time, if in this process do not pay attention to the correct posture, long-term maintenance of the neck forward and other postures, over time, not only affect the personal posture, but also the neck, shoulders, head caused by pressure, causing shoulder soreness, headaches and other symptoms, but also induce temporomandibular joint disorders.
2. High mental pressure
Modern people are busy at work and have great pressure in life, and it is inevitable that there will be emotions such as tension, anxiety, depression, etc., coupled with staying up late and irregular work and rest, the body will naturally have problems. Many people unconsciously shrug their shoulders and clench their teeth when they are nervous, which can lead to excessive tension in the masticatory muscles, shoulders, and neck, resulting in temporomandibular joint disorders.
3. Chew on the side
Long-term partial chewing, the teeth will be biased towards the chewing side, resulting in tooth deformities, and may also cause large and small faces, affecting personal beauty.
In addition, long-term partial chewing can also lead to temporomandibular joint disorders, which is because the temporomandibular joint has a weight-bearing effect and can be slightly worn when chewing, especially when chewing hard objects, which can lead to increased joint burden and thus induce disease.
How should temporomandibular joint disorders be treated?
Treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders includes conservative treatment and surgery. Conservative treatment is suitable for new cases within three months, when the patient is still in the early stage of joint structural disorders, and symptoms can be significantly improved through conservative treatment such as physiotherapy, hot compresses, and massage.
For more severe diseases, significant joint pain and limited opening, if the conservative treatment effect is not good, arthroscopic surgery should be performed. Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that causes less damage. If conservative or minimally invasive treatment is ineffective, open surgery should be considered.
Temporomandibular joint disorders may not seem like a big problem, but if they are not treated in time, they will have a great impact on life.
Therefore, when there are symptoms such as mandibular joint bouncing and limited opening, the patient should go to the hospital in time to clarify the cause, such as the diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorder, which can be improved by conservative treatment, surgical treatment and other ways to avoid aggravation.