If you feel pain and hear noise when you move your jaw, if there is difficulty in opening the mouth, clenching or grinding of teeth, it may be a sign of a jaw joint problem. It is time for you to have your jaw joint examined by a maxillofacial surgeon without delaying too much. Because just as everything that is postponed grows, the jaw joint problem will also grow if it is postponed. This will prolong the treatment period. As with all diseases, early diagnosis is very important in the jaw joint. If disorders in the jaw joint are neglected, it can cause many problems, including the inability to open the mouth.
The jaw joint, which has a lot of mobility and is the most active joint of the body, works constantly to perform functions such as chewing, speaking, and even while sleeping in some people. is in motion. Sometimes problems may occur in our jaw joint, which has such functions.
THERE ARE PATIENTS WHO MISTAKENLY APPLY TO ENT
Some of our patients who have jaw joint problems seek treatment from ENT specialists, ophthalmologists. They can knock on the doors of doctors and even neurologists. However, jaw joint disorder is the area of expertise of the jaw surgery department and this problem can be solved with the treatment methods we apply.
I would like to give information about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods of jaw joint disorder. When we look at the symptoms, it may manifest itself as a sound coming from the front of the ear when opening and closing our mouth, pain in the jaw-face area or ear, headache, limitation or difficulty in opening the mouth. If the jaw joint disorder, which is very common among the public, is not treated, it can even reach points that can negatively affect the psychosocial state of the patients.
REASONS THAT DISRUPT THE JAW JOINT?
Sometimes I can briefly explain the causes of jaw joint disorder, which continues for years without any clinical symptoms, and can sometimes prevent people from going out in public: You may be clenching or grinding your teeth without realizing it, chewing unilaterally, or having a history of trauma to the jaw-facial area.
HOW IS JAW JOINT DISORDER DIAGNOSED?
The first stage of diagnosis, as in the diagnosis of all diseases, is taking a detailed anamnesis, that is, evaluating the history of the disease. Afterwards, we need to perform a detailed clinical and radiological examination that helps understand the causes of jaw joint disease. First, the whole mouth, teeth and gums are examined. Maxillofacial and neck muscles are examined by palpation and joint sounds are listened to with the help of a stethoscope. The amount of mouth opening and whether there is any slippage in opening the mouth are examined in detail. The examination is completed by checking the wear on the teeth due to clenching or grinding. Panoramic x-ray or dental tomography can be used for radiological examination. In cases of advanced intra-articular problems, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination may be requested.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT Clenching OR Grinding Your Teeth
Involuntary grinding of teeth while sleeping at night is called bruxism. The teeth are clenched and rubbed together as if they were grinding something. This is a condition that damages our jaw joint, chewing muscles and teeth by putting excessive stress on them. In fact, patients with extreme bruxism may even experience wear on the chewing surfaces of their teeth. If this condition progresses, it may lead to the inability to open the mouth fully or to a very limited opening. The main underlying cause is stress, which is also the disease of our century. In order to minimize these damages, our patient should first increase his awareness and be careful not to grind his teeth when he is conscious. It may be helpful for him to hang short notes at his workplace or home to remind him of this situation. One of the methods we use in the treatment of bruxism, the night plates (splint treatment) that we specially prepare, reduces the excessive load on the jaw joint and contributes to the relaxation of the jaw muscles.
MULTIPLE METHODS MAY BE REQUIRED IN TREATMENT
There is no single method in the treatment of jaw joint problems. Sometimes it may be necessary to apply more than one treatment method together. Treatment ranges from classical drug therapy to physical therapy, from the use of night plates (splint therapy) to manipulation, and from jaw joint washing (arthrocentesis) to advanced surgery. We have many treatment scales ranging from AHI procedures. We first start the treatment with informative training and eliminating habits that deviate from normal, if any. Then, we try to find and eliminate the problems that cause the jaw joint problem. Since our patient's psychological state is very important in this process, he may need to receive professional support such as psychotherapy if necessary. In late cases, open surgical interventions into the jaw joint can be performed.
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