This is a great question and one we often hear. The first point to understand is that TMJ is not a diagnosis at all. TMJ is an acronym for the TemporoMandibular Joints or simply your jaw joints. All normal healthy people have a pair, one on each side of your head. However, you may have […]
It is a matter of common sense that a direct impact to the lower jaw, temple, or temporomandibular joint can result in injury to the TM joint. A lesser-known mechanism of injury is the TM joint injury resulting from trauma to structures, which directly or indirectly provide attachment to or are functionally related to jaw […]
Patients frequently present with mysterious pain or other symptoms in the head and jaws, which they do not associate with jaw dysfunction (TMJ-TMD). Recently a woman presented with the primary complaint of ear pain. Thinking she had an ear infection, she sought care from her primary physician and an ENT (ear, nose, and throat physician). […]
Recently, several studies have demonstrated a relationship between bacterial infections and degenerative TMJ disease. A study by Drs. Hughs, Hudson and Wolford published in the Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery (2000) found the bacteria, Chlamydia trachomatis, associated with the sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia, were present in 65% of a TMJ surgery patient group. Other studies have […]