November is temporomandibular joint dysfunction awareness month in the United States. TMJ disorder affects millions of people of all ages, races and genders. TMJ dysfunction is a painful and often disabling disorder that originates from the jaw joint and can affect the health of the entire neuromuscular – skeletal system through the entire body.
Some signs and symptoms of TMJ dysfunction are:
• Jaw joint noises, clicking
and popping
• Headaches
• Sore muscles of the jaw and face
• Limited mouth opening
• Ear congestion (fullness) ringing of the ear
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Facial asymmetry
• Numbness of the hands
• Neck and shoulders pain
• Lower back pain
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Posture issues
• Depression TMJ is a disease that takes many different forms and manifests itself in patients in several different ways. Because of this, TMJ is like an “Imposter,” with the symptoms of TMJ mimicking other diseases many patients are incorrectly diagnosed. If you or anybody you know is experiencing any of these symptoms related to TMJ dysfunction you are not alone. According to The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), TMJ disorders are the second most common pain causing muscle & skeletal condition, about 5 – 12 % of the population is affected by TMJ dysfunction.
Help us create awareness not only locally with in our cities but globally. Let us educate those suffering with the appropriate research, to ultimately help prevent this misdiagnosed dysfunction everywhere.
During the month of November SoBeDentist.com would like to offer anyone that is suffering from this delimiting disorder called TMJ, with a complementary TMJ consultation plus a Sleep Screening in our office.
