Does your jaw click when chewing or when at rest? This is an alarming symptom that indicates certain pathologies of the dental system. It is imperative to consult a dentist, since wasting too much time can lead to inflammation of the joints, loss of teeth and other negative consequences that will have to be treated surgically.
What problems do 70% of dental patients face?
- jaw crunch
- difficulty opening
- pain and discomfort
- clicking sound when chewing
Unfortunately, more and more people are beginning to experience problems with the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and seek help from a gnathologist. How does the joint work, what problems can arise and what needs to be done in order to protect the health of your teeth and the dental system as a whole.
There are three main problems associated with TMJ:
- Sound or clicking sound in one or both jaw joints
- Significant restriction in opening and closing the jaws
- Pain in the joint and area around it
This triad of symptoms follows each other, occurring one after the other. And in order to understand the essence of solving these problems, it is very important to know the structure of the joint itself.
Preventive measures
The main preventive measure against the development of TMJ diseases is careful attention to the condition of the body as a whole.
Regarding the prevention of clicking in the jaw, experts recommend the following:
- treat dental diseases at the initial stages of their development;
- removed or damaged teeth should be immediately replaced with artificial analogues;
- After receiving an injury, immediately consult a doctor;
- treat ear, nose and throat diseases in a timely manner;
- Do not eat too hard and hard foods.
These simple tips will help you maintain healthy jaw joints for life.
The video provides additional information on the topic of the article.
Structure of the TMJ (temporomandibular joint)
The temporomandibular joint consists of the following elements:
- head of the mandible
- mandibular fossa
- articular tubercle
- articular disc
- capsule and ligaments
The articular head is an ellipsoidal bone formation at the end of the condylar processes of the lower jaw.
An articular disc is a biconcave plate consisting of coarse fibrous connective tissue. It has an oval shape. Located between the articular surfaces, it isolates the articular head from the mandibular fossa, dividing the joint cavity into two floors (upper and lower), the disc is fused at the edges with the joint capsule.
Possible complications
If the jaw joint clicks and there is no other discomfort, then this cannot be ignored by a specialist. The dentist must examine and examine the patient, after which the patient receives instructions on therapy and prevention.
The appearance of a crunch may herald the development of serious inflammatory processes that will affect the ear, trigeminal nerve and other organs.
This threatens:
- joint diseases and dysfunction;
- hearing loss;
- severe neuralgia, in which the pain is so severe that the facial expression of the suffering person is called suicidal;
- spasms of the chewing muscles, which can spread to the neck muscles and even complicate the work of the spine.
You will find more details about the disease and possible complications in the video in this article.
What to do if your jaw starts to crack?
If, when opening the mouth, the patient hears a clicking sound, this means that the articular disc is deformed and displaced from its position to the side. The question is why did the disk "lose" its place and become misaligned? The TMJ has only one support - the bite, the teeth. Correct closure and uniform load on the teeth “save” our joint from the triad of symptoms mentioned above.
The next stage after a crunch or click, patients note difficulties in opening the mouth or problems in closing it.
The reason why such problems arise is due to the fact that the disc is not fixed “in its place”, it either jumps onto the condyle, then slides off it, and then at one point the jaw simply jams. The patient cannot open or close his mouth. At this moment, a protective reflex is triggered, the person begins to panic, the muscles work in an enhanced maximum mode to help the jaw return to its usual initial state, but such an effort, on the contrary, only leads to aggravation of the situation.
And now we are talking about the third stage, when pain is observed in the joint and around it.
The pain occurs as a result of the fact that the articular disc has become deformed and slipped, has ceased to share the space between the skull and the condyle, the bones simply begin to rub against each other, as a result, the head of the TMJ wears off and loses its shape.
Also, one of the causes of pain is that without articular cartilage, the nerves and blood vessels in the joint are compressed, hence the sharp pain that radiates to the head and temporal region, dizziness and nausea appear. The pain begins to cover all surrounding tissues, muscles and teeth. At this stage, patients may complain of hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear congestion.
Why does my jaw click when I open my mouth?
Most often, such clicking is caused by jaw arthritis. This pathology affects the cartilage layer of the joint or meniscus. Accordingly, the meniscus becomes thinner, the fibers become looser, and the cartilage can partially fuse with the articular head. As a rule, the clicks in this case are multiple, resembling a crunch.
The sound is formed as a result of the movement of the articular heads, which overcome the boundary in the form of folds of the cartilage disc. This crunch can be muffled, and therefore only audible to the person himself. Very often the jaw crunches when the mouth is opened sharply, when subluxation of the joint occurs. With some difficulties, but the jaw can be returned to its place. But sometimes this is impossible on your own - the patient is diagnosed with a dislocation, and here the help of a surgeon will be required.
TMJ dysfunction syndrome
This entire triad of symptoms is called “TMD syndrome (temporomandibular joint dysfunction). This syndrome is too difficult to treat; unfortunately, one doctor alone cannot cope with such a situation. A comprehensive treatment is required, in which doctors such as a gnathologist, orthopedist, orthodontist, and sometimes a surgeon will take part. That is why it is very important to consult a doctor with the first signs in order to prevent the disease in time.
How effective is therapeutic exercise?
After eliminating the causes of the disease, the doctor prescribes restorative exercises to the patient, or rather a set of exercises that will help improve the functionality of the masticatory muscles.
Joint exercises are performed after thermal preparation of muscle structures with a warm compress. The duration of the manipulation is no more than 10 minutes.
Good results can be achieved with the following exercises:
- Move your movable jaw forward and backward 10 times in each direction.
- Move your jaw first to the right and then to the left with your lips parted. Repeat at least 10 times.
- Press the chin area with your hand and try to forcefully lift your jaw up. The duration of the movement is at least 1 minute.
- Try pushing your jaw forward for 1 minute, pressing with your fingers on both sides of the chin.
Crunching jaw: how to treat and which doctor to contact
The first question that arises for people who are faced with crunching and discomfort in the jaw is what should be done, which doctor should they contact, should they do anything at all? It all depends on how long ago the jaw began to crunch, what caused this unpleasant phenomenon, whether the crunch is accompanied by other symptoms, and whether it limits the movement of the jaw. It is important that in no case should you self-medicate, which can aggravate the situation, and postpone a visit to the doctor.
Treatment of TMJ by our experienced gnathologists who:
- are able to carry out accurate diagnostics and apply their results in practice
- high-quality diagnostics using more than 50 parameters
- know how to treat so that the first result is noticeable within 7 days
- can prove their experience with successful results of more than 524 satisfied patients with TMJ problems
- quality treatment at prices in the residential area of Yasenevo
Diagnostic measures
The doctor begins the search for the causes of crunching and clicking in the jaw by interviewing the patient and visual examination. The orthodontist palpates the lower jaw and mandibular joint and determines the type of bite.
In some cases, a consultation with a neurologist and a study of the motor and sensory functions of the trigeminal nerve system are prescribed.
For accurate diagnosis, a number of research activities are used:
- biochemical blood and urine tests to determine the presence of inflammatory processes;
- ultrasonography;
- radiography;
- EMG – functional diagnostics of the state of muscle and nervous tissue, as well as neuromuscular transmission;
- arthroscopic surgical procedure (minimally invasive intervention to study various joint pathologies and diseases);
- CT scan;
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
Classification of pathology depending on its manifestations:
- The clicking sound occurs on one side of the jaw . The clinical picture indicates dysfunction of the lower jaw. In medical practice, a unilateral defect is more common.
- The lower jaw clicks on the right. The symptom indicates a malfunction of the TMJ in the area of the right chewing molars.
- The sound occurs near the left ear . Symptoms indicate joint dislocation or arthrosis. In advanced cases, partial hearing loss is possible.
If the sound occurs rarely and is not accompanied by discomfort, this phenomenon may be natural and physiological in nature. You should be concerned if the uncharacteristic sound is repeated frequently and is accompanied by inflammation or pain.
Why is a displacement of the midline of teeth dangerous and how to correct the defect.
Come here to find out how to correct a crooked jaw.
At this address https://orto-info.ru/zubocheliustnye-anomalii/chelyustey/sovremennyie-metodyi-ispravleniya-malenkoy-nizhney.html read what to do if a child is diagnosed with a small lower jaw.
Classical treatment methods
Treatment of mandibular joint dysfunction is carried out by dental specialists. To fully understand what is happening, you should consult several doctors, and any doctor in such a situation will refer the patient to specialists in related fields.
Treatment methods will depend on the immediate cause of the problem:
- If teeth are missing, they will need to be restored; if they need treatment, the entire necessary complex must be carried out;
- If a malocclusion is diagnosed, it will have to be corrected, as the problem may return after some time;
- If inflammation is detected, physiotherapy (electrophoresis, ultrasound, galvanization) and antibiotics (only as prescribed by a doctor) are prescribed; if acupuncture is available, that is also prescribed;
- If the clicking is caused by muscle spasms, wearing a special orthopedic splint will help; it will limit jaw movement;
For more serious symptoms, surgery will be performed:
- Minimally invasive.
The name of this technique speaks for itself - surgical intervention is performed with minimal penetration. This method is used when the problem is slightly advanced, and is performed under local anesthesia. Using several thin needles, a medicine is injected into the problem area, washing away damaged cells and pus. The cartilage surface is cleansed and the production of physiological fluids is normalized. The joint gradually returns to its proper place. - Arthroscopy carried out in cases where the invasive method is insufficient or was carried out but did not give the expected results.
The arthroscopy technique uses a probe, a miniature scalpel and, in some cases, scissors, with which damaged tissue is removed, as well as adhesions and scars that have already appeared.The cartilage becomes smoother, and normal jaw mobility returns as the human body helps the joint gradually recover.
- Open surgery. Open surgical intervention will be insisted upon if the injury and damage to the mandibular joint is very serious, aggravated by tumor processes and cell death.
Through a surgical incision, which is made near the auricle (front or back), the affected areas are removed and, if necessary, the elements of the joint are replaced. - During open surgery, prosthetics can also be performed. If the head is so damaged that all that remains is to remove it, you will have to replace it with an artificial one.
In addition to the introduction of the prosthesis, partial use of nearby muscles and elements of preserved cartilage is carried out to ensure the isolation of the bone endings from the foreign body for the normal functioning of the joint. - Use of retroauricular technique. To restore normal function of the jaw, fixing screws are implanted into it.
This method is used in cases where the patient’s body does not show allergic reactions to the materials from which such screws are made. After such an operation, the patient feels his jaw as completely healthy.
After treatment, a gentle regime is necessary for the work of the lower facial regions: chewing gum, rough food, excessive physical activity are contraindicated, and for some time it is recommended to use a protective spacer between the teeth during sleep.
We will tell you in detail how to prevent mucositis during chemoradiotherapy. And here it is described how to treat a fistula on the gum with folk remedies.
By following the link: https://dentist-pro.ru/lechenie/yazyk-l/zelenyj-nalet-prichiny.html - you can find out what problems in the body are indicated by a green coating on the tongue.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the exact causes of jaw clicking includes a number of measures:
palpation on both sides of the temporomandibular joint;- anatomical studies of occlusion;
- neurological diagnostics, including the trigeminal nerve;
- Ultrasound and x-ray of the area with pathology and tissues near it;
- a general blood test, which is required to check the absence of inflammatory diseases;
- facial electromyography;
- dental examination, even if not a single tooth hurts;
- MRI is prescribed in advanced cases and when there are no metal structures installed in the patient’s oral cavity;
- collecting information about what the patient complains about when the jaw cracked for the first time.