Did You Know That Jawbone Joints Can Become Diseased?

At the back end of your jawbone, there are hinge-like joints that connect them to the skull. These joints are called temporomandibular joints, and they are adjacent to the ears. However, these joints can be affected by disorders that can cause muscle pain during the movement of jawbones. The causes of temporomandibular joint disorders are not specific, but your doctor can determine them through diagnosis. Consult specialists at Carthay TMJ treatment since they excel in diagnosing and managing temporomandibular joint disorders.

Causes of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

There are several causes of joint diseases. While most joints in the body are similarly constructed, temporomandibular joints are held together by both hard and soft tissues. When these joints rotate frequently, they can cause wear and tear of the soft tissues. Worn-out tissues can then cause pain when you talk or chew. Other causes of TMJ disorder include:

• Diseases. Arthritis is one of the most infectious joint diseases, with various types of arthritis affecting your jawbone joints. They include rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Arthritis can also affect both men and women.
• Jaw injuries. You can incur jawbone injuries through accidents. When jawbones are injured, the wounds can act as a gate for the passage of germ and bacteria. Germs and bacteria can cause serious infections that can lead to difficulties in speaking, eating, and jawbone rotation.

If you feel pain when you rotate your jawbone, it is vital to see treatment before infections become severe. Below are ways temporomandibular joint disorders can be treated and managed.

Ways Your Doctor Can Treat Jawbone Joint Diseases

There are several main ways your doctor can treat temporomandibular joint disorder. The type of treatment you receive, however, depends on the severity of the disease. They include:

• Medications. Medicines are offered to patients whose disease is not severe. Medications you can get from your doctor include pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, and tricyclic antidepressants. Some of these medicines may even repair the damaged tissues and nerves.
• Surgery. Surgery is the last option your doctor can suggest for you as a treatment procedure. After diagnosis, your doctor can suggest either open or invasive surgery. Open surgery is done on patients whose joint disease has grown very severely. On the other hand, invasive surgery is done on patients whose diseases do not require open surgery for treatment.
• Injection. According to research, injectable medicines are the best for managing pain and can effectively do so for about one month to one year, depending on the severity of the pain. An Injection that you can have for TMJ disorders is botulinum toxin type A.

Because temporomandibular joints enable the rotation of your jawbone, when these joints become diseased, it will be difficult for you to chew or even speak. Be sure to book an appointment with specialists at Smile Perfector Dental Group center for the treatment of jawbone joint disorders.