Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Signs and symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJD) may include the following:

You may experience difficulty in eating and a sudden inability to close your mouth, which may or may not be spontaneously resolved.

• Noises - You may hear clicking or grating noises on opening or closing your mouth. If this is not accompanied by pain and limitation in mouth opening, no treatment is required.
  
• Pain - Dull pain on the opening and closing of your mouth can be experienced over the area at jaw joint area (just in front of the ear), cheek or temple region. A clicking or grating sound may accompany the pain. The pain you experience is usually due to the inflammation of the joint and/or the muscles and may cause difficulty in chewing and biting food. Sometimes you may experience headaches.
  
• Restriction in the opening and closing of your mouth - Trauma, excessive pressure or degenerative changes to the joint can displace the cartilage disk in the joint. This causes obstruction to its normal movement, leading to difficulties in opening and closing your mouth.
  
• Worn-down, cracked and fractured teeth - Teeth may be worn down as a result of nocturnal grinding and you may experience teeth sensitivity, Teeth may also be cracked and fractured as a result of nocturnal grinding and clenching, which leads to pain and difficulties in chewing.