Is there pain in your jaw?You’re not alone. Millions worldwide suffer from tempromandibular joint (TMJ) disorders that cause them pain, clicking, and limitation of movement. Knowing what causes TMJ problems is the key to the control of symptoms, and quality of life enhancement.
This thorough guide will help you to observe the 20 common habits and factors worsening TMJ symptoms. Learn what not to do to comfort yourself and get back to the best state of your jaw health from everyday activities to dietary choices. Let’s get started and reveal the guilty parties of amplified in TMJ symptoms!
What is TMJ?
TMJ is short for Trouble Temporomandibular Joints. TMJ or Temporomandibular Joints refers to the jaw joints and muscles that enable you to open and close your mouth. These joints are located on either side of the head and help with chewing, swallowing and speaking.
- TMJ: Temporomandibular joint, is the joint between the lower jaw (the mandible) and the temporal bone.
The term TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint of the human jaw. This is the joint that connects the jaw to the temporal bones of your skull – acting as a hinge. The TMJ (the temporomandibular joint, which lies between the lower jaw (the mandible) and the temporal bone) is responsible for jaw movement. It’s the most-used joint in the human body!
What makes the TMJ unique is its articular disc: A soft, elastic cartilage that acts as a cushion between the 2 bony surfaces. This articular disc is insensitive to pain and therefore cannot feel it, since it is neither vascularized nor innervated. It is attached to the Indian perrigault muscle, a muscle that enables food to be chewed. In order to open the mouth wide enough, a translational movement must take place: This corresponds to the displacement of the mandibular disc out of the fossa, in front of and below the articular eminence, which is a bony surface located anterior to the Fossa.
TMJ corresponds to pain felt when the mouth is opened, whether to eat, yawn or drink. It can also be present when the mouth is closed, or even when it’s not moving, in some cases!
This pain can spread to the jaw, gums, teeth… It can be associated with bruxism or cervicalgia, causing headaches, migraines and even postural disorders: We know that the cervical spine is closely linked to the spinal column. It’s also possible to hear a clicking sound when closing or opening the mouth, which can also become blocked, tense or stuck. You may also feel a particular sensitivity in the muscles of the mouth.
Normally, when everything’s going well and you’re at rest, you’re supposed to have a gap between your upper and lower teeth (the mandible). However, during a period of stress or tension, your 2 jaws may tighten beyond your control and close the usual gap. When this happens, the teeth no longer fit together as they used to. All these symptoms can tell you whether or not you have this temporomandibular joint disorder. So many possible side effects for pain in just one joint.
TMJ Causes
It used to be thought that it was the arrangement or position of the teeth that caused TMJ pain. Today, we know that this problem must be treated in the same way as problems related to other joints in the body, and that the dentition actually plays a very secondary role in relation to the pain experienced.
The causes of TMJ can vary greatly from one person to another. Sometimes, it’s not even possible to identify a real cause (because there isn’t one), or at least not with complete certainty. However, there are still certain aspects that can contribute to TMJ, such as poor posture. The jaw follows the posture of the body, particularly the head and shoulders, and if this is poor, it can have an impact on the muscles in the mouth, creating discomfort and even severe pain.
- Dental procedures such as crowns or tooth extractions can also contribute to pain, if the potential problem associated with the procedure is not resolved quickly.
- Stress can also have a considerable impact: a poor lifestyle and mental overload will weigh heavily on your body, impacting on your posture, which in turn can create pain, as explained above. It’s important (for all aspects of your life) to feel good physically as well as mentally.
If anxiety is too difficult to manage on your own, don’t hesitate to talk to others about it, or seek professional help. Psychological problems can have an influence on your physical condition, so don’t neglect any aspect of it!
- TMJ can also be caused by physical (but also emotional) fatigue and over-exertion of the muscles, leading to temporomandibular myofascial pain syndrome. You need to take it easy, and know when to stop when the effort becomes too intense.
Overexertion brings no long-term benefit; you damage your body (in this case, your jaw) to satisfy a need quickly, but the consequences and pain will unfortunately spread over several weeks, or even months.
Things That Make TMJ Worse
We all have habits of our own that we don’t even pay attention to anymore, becoming part of our daily routine. However, some of them can make your condition worse, and increase the pain you feel if you have TMJ:
1- Teeth Grinding
Teeth grinding (also known as bruxism) not only cracks or breaks one of your teeth, it also puts a lot of pressure on your jaw joints and muscles, increasing the pain already present. This phenomenon, which usually occurs at night, is unconscious.
Most of the time, it’s caused by stress, hence the importance, once again, of being as relaxed as possible on a daily basis.
2- Posture
Once again, poor positioning of your back, shoulders and especially your head has an impact on your jaw muscles, which may be called upon more than they should be.
As all your muscles are interconnected, they have an influence on each other, and the wrong position of one of them can have a considerable impact on your whole body!
3- Stress
Stress is not only a direct cause of TMJ dysfunction, it can also be an aggravating factor. Its particularity is that, as well as being a factor in its own right, it can also be the creator of other, totally independent factors. It is therefore important to treat it as a priority in order to avoid all its side-effects: bad posture, teeth grinding, migraines…
4- Chewing of hard food
In general, you should avoid foods that are chewy, tough, crunchy, or oversized. These foods (carrots, nuts, certain types of bread, etc.) make chewing difficult.
5- Gum
Chewing gum not only increases the risk of tooth decay due to its high sugar content, it also actively strains the jaw muscles, since it is a food whose purpose is permanent chewing. Using the jaw for so long obviously has negative aspects, as it is not used to or designed to be active for so long without a break. Chewing gum too often will increase your pain, and create other unpleasant problems. However, there’s no particular problem with chewing gum from time to time, as long as the chewing time doesn’t exceed 20 minutes.
6- Jaw overuse
Jaw overuse can occur in a number of ways: all of those mentioned above (chewing gum and hard foods), during muscular exercises aimed at defining and drawing the “jaw line”, poor posture at bedtime which can make your muscles work unconsciously… Poor breathing technique during physical activity such as running can also lead to overuse of the jaw muscles, causing discomfort in the long term.
7- Apples
Apples, like other foods mentioned above, should be avoided: considered too hard, they are difficult to chew and are not recommended for daily consumption, even though they contain many vitamins. If you have TMJ but still wish to enjoy the benefits of this delicious fruit, it’s perfectly possible: you can use apples in compote, juice or smoothies, accompanied by other fruits!
8- Chewy or sticky candies
For obvious reasons, chewy and sticky candies are not recommended in general (again, because of their high sugar content), but even less so when your jaw is already sore. You could make the situation worse very quickly, as sweets drastically increase the sensitivity of your teeth.
9- Hormones
It’s not really something you can avoid, since the function of hormones does not depend on your person and is extremely variable, all the more so if you’re a woman. However, according to some studies, temporomandibular disorders are affected by hormonal fluctuations, which takes place throughout a woman’s life: during puberty, menstruation, after the menopause.
Indeed, estrogen receptors are present in the central nervous system, also in some areas which are related to pain modulation. Changes in estrogen level may affect neurotransmitter systems involved in pain perception, potentially influencing the experience of pain associated with TMD. Lower the level of estrogen is, higher is the feeling of inflammation.
Estrogens are female hormones that affect the urogenital system, the mammary gland, the skeleton, the skin and mucous membranes, the cardiovascular system, the brain and the digestive system. They have great importance and power over a woman’s body.
Fluctuating hormone levels, especially around the time of menstruation, can cause headaches and severe jaw pain.
10- Nervous chewing
Nervous chewing is, as the name suggests, a nervous and therefore unthinking process. It is controlled by the brain, indirectly, when eating, for example. In fact, chewing is an automatism learned from early childhood, so no one is in the habit of thinking when they eat.
The problem is that we can chew in the wrong way: not enough, too quickly, too roughly… This can lead to poor muscle utilization and damage. In this case, you need to practice “conscious” chewing, taking your time during meals, avoiding distractions such as television or the telephone, and becoming aware of the drying process. You’ll not only feel better, you’ll enjoy what’s on your plate even more!
11- Problems with arthritis
There are many different types of arthritis: septic, traumatic, secondary degenerative… However, they all result in (at least mild) pain in the jaw and during mandibular movements. So, of course, if you suffer from one of the existing types of arthritis, you’re more likely to be affected by tmj and, above all, to be affected more severely!
The pain could become unbearable and prevent you from living a normal life, as it would be exacerbated. In your case, it’s imperative to consult your doctor regularly and make sure a diagnosis is made, so you can continue with the right treatment and get better as quickly as possible!
12- Smoking
It’s a well-known fact that smoking is dangerous for your health: risk of cancer, diabetes or Crohn’s disease… But did you know that smoking can also increase the intensity of your pain in the event of TMJ? That’s right! According to several studies (including one conducted by the Aesthetic Dentistry of San Diego), for reasons that we can’t really explain, smoking plays a negative role in jaw pain (and head pain too, for that matter!). Equally interesting is the fact that cigarette smoking has a greater impact on pain in younger people than in older people.
13- Taking big bites
As the opening and closing movement of the mouth is painful, it’s important to avoid taking big bites, which will put a lot of strain on your already tired jaw muscles. Try to take small bites, so that when you open your mouth, you don’t have to exert yourself too much.
14- Steak
Steak is a red meat which, depending on how it’s cooked, can be more or less difficult to chew. In the case of TMJ, it’s best to avoid eating it and opt for meats that fray easily and are relatively tender, like beef tenderloin, for example.
15- Chewing on ice
Many people like to chew on ice cubes: the sensation is pleasant at first, but putting your teeth in contact with such cold foods is bound to have negative consequences.
In addition to weakening your teeth and increasing their sensitivity, the pressure created by chewing on ice creates inflammation in your temporomandibular joints. Ice, unlike food, shatters, creating a kind of trauma. This sudden destruction can cause your jaw to bang against your skull (which are connected, remember) and increase your existing pain, or create a new one, if the phenomenon is repetitive.
16- Dehydration
Dehydration can make your tmj worse, because like any joint in your body, it needs to be sufficiently hydrated and lubricated to function properly. Many other side effects are apparent in people who don’t drink enough water: Headaches, extreme fatigue, dry mouth, food cravings.
It’s imperative to drink at least 1.5L of water every day to maintain good health and avoid aggravation of your tmj!
17- Eating habits
As we’ve mentioned many times in this article, the way you eat and the foods you eat have a considerable impact on the level of pain you feel. It’s important to take your time when eating, to do so calmly and without distraction, and to avoid any foods that are too hard, sticky or that require more chewing than the norm.
18- Sleeping on your stomach
Sleeping on your stomach is the worst idea you could have if you want to rest and have TMJ. When you sleep in this position, you’ll be putting more strain than necessary on your neck and jaw, which is likely to increase your already existing pain. In addition to creating a misalignment for your neck and head, this position causes stress that will directly affect your facial muscles: everything you need to avoid!
To avoid this situation as much as possible, the best solution is to sleep on your back, with your neck lightly supported by a good pillow.
19- Slouching
Slouching, as well as being a direct cause of tmj, can make it worse. Here again, as with the question of sleeping on your stomach, it’s a question of the alignment of your body: not standing correctly and upright will cause your lower jaw to be misaligned with the rest of your body. This will, once again, create tension, which in turn causes stress, but also pain directly to your jaw.
20- Using your teeth as tools
Although tempting on many occasions (holding objects, opening boxes…), your teeth should not be used for anything other than the reason they were created in the first place: to eat.
When you perform an action with your teeth that involves the use of an object (and this is always the case) when they’re not supposed to, you’re inflicting a necessary load on them that will create unconscious stress in the jaw joint. Neither your teeth nor your jaw are used to this type of action, which requires an unusual effort, and this will put them on alert and create tension. To avoid increasing the pain of your tmj, ask someone close to you for help if you find yourself faced with a delicate action.
Dr. Burak TMJ Treatment in Turkey
Dr. Burak TMJ Treatment in Turkey provides unmatched knowledge and caring services for the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Dr. Burak and his team are aware of how devastating TMJ issues are and they strive to provide individual treatment plans for every patient. Using modern equipment and sophisticated approaches, their purpose is to relieve pain, regain function, and enhance life quality.
Through conservative therapies or modern surgical approaches, Dr. Burak ensures that the patients are comprehensively treated and provided with exceptional care. Start your path for relief and get in touch with us now to make an appointment for a consultation.
