Do you experience pain in your jawline or hear a clicking sound when you open and close your mouth? This could be a result of TMJ.

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction has been linked to extreme jaw pain, tooth pain, and even headaches. There are many factors that could contribute to your TMJ condition. Some of which are repetitive strain from eating foods that are too hard, bone deficiencies, weakness of mandible muscles, arthritis, uneven teeth as a result of irregular chewing patterns, overfilled cavities, or even stress.

These factors all contribute to the numbing pain that surely some of you know all too well. However, when it comes to stress it can come from emotional or physical stress. When speaking about emotional stress, people tend to pout and clench their teeth when they are frustrated or upset. This type of pouting or teeth clenching for extended periods of time can create enormous amounts of pressure on the Temporomandibular joint and lead to extreme joint pain.

 

The symptoms of TMJ don’t readily show themselves until the pain is far too much to handle. Typically, the pain begins as a dull, nagging sensation near the ear and if often confused with an inner ear infection. As the stress continues to escalate, so does the pain. Also, as stress begins to lessen so too does the pain. This correlation must be understood, otherwise patients can potentially be misdiagnosing their symptoms without treating the true source of pain. To make matters even worse, TMJ of this nature is also a leading contributor to obstructive sleep apnea.

The combination of TMJ and obstructive sleep apnea will only lead to more issues if the conditions go untreated and the vicious cycle of stress related pain will continue. To help ease the pain, consult with the trusted TMJ specialists of Central Dental. Call us today at 501-225-1577 to schedule your consultation and start on the path to pain relief.