TMJ Symptoms

Symptoms of TMJ.

TMJ rarely stays in the jaw. Because the joint, the muscles and the bite work as one system, strain in one place tends to surface somewhere else, from the teeth to the ears to the hands. These are the symptoms we see most often, and what is happening behind each one. Many trace back to a bite that is out of balance, and our page on TMJ causes explains how that imbalance develops.

Jaw and tooth pain.

With TMJ, your teeth can wear faster than they would if your jaw were properly aligned. That erosion can lead to uneven tooth wear, a smaller range of jaw motion and gum recession. If you feel pain in your jaw or teeth, TMJ may be the cause.

Facial pain.

Facial pain is very common with TMJ. The condition affects the muscles of the head, neck and face, so if a nerve gets pinched, the pain can travel into your face. A bad bite also pulls the jaw and the muscles around it out of place, and that imbalance can cause pain in the face or behind the eyes.

Neck, shoulder and back pain.

A misaligned bite sets off a ripple effect through the neck, shoulders and back. Sore, tight, contracted jaw muscles tilt the head and shoulders, and the muscles of the neck, shoulders and back overcompensate. The result is pain and strain through the upper half of your body.

Ear pain and congestion.

Ear congestion, earaches, dizziness and ringing in the ears can all trace back to TMJ. An overworked jaw can make the ear canal sensitive, and when the jaw is misaligned, the muscles and nerves around your ears can be affected. That can bring dizziness, vertigo, ear pain, restricted hearing, sinus pain and a congested feeling in the ears.

Numbness in the arms, hands and fingers.

When your bite is misaligned, the nerves and muscles of the face, jaw, neck and shoulders may spasm. This can pinch the nerves that run down to the arm, causing numbness and tingling in the arms, hands and fingers. The numbness and tingling may come with or without pain, and can vary in intensity.

Clicking, popping or locking of the jaw.

When the jaw is not in its proper position, the disk inside the joint is often displaced and the joint spaces close down. That can cause clicking or popping when you open or close your mouth, whether you are eating, yawning or biting. In more severe cases, the displaced disk can lock the jaw after you open wide, so that you are unable to close your mouth. If your jaw locks, it is worth having it seen promptly.

Teeth and jaw grinding.

Mild grinding is not a serious problem on its own. It becomes one when it happens unconsciously during sleep. This is called bruxism, and it can be very painful. Over time it can wear down the surfaces of the teeth and sometimes fracture them. Our page on clench and grind relief explains how we calm the muscles behind it.

Headaches.

Headaches are one of the most common complaints among people with TMJ. When the jaw is out of alignment, the muscles of the face, neck and shoulders tense up, which leads to tension headaches. They can be severe and frequent, and they are often misdiagnosed as migraines.

Postural problems.

TMJ can affect the posture of your entire body. With an unbalanced bite, the length and activity of your muscles are unbalanced too. When the muscles become overcontracted, they pull you into a forward leaning posture, and that slouch ripples down through the rest of the body. When your body is not lined up properly, your physical and athletic performance can suffer, and you may feel increasingly sluggish and tired through the day.

How is the rest of my body affected by a bad bite?

It is easy to assume your jaw and bite are a local matter with little effect on the rest of your body. That is true when your bite is properly aligned and everything works well, because the muscles can rest and release their energy. When the bite is out of alignment, the muscles are under constant stress, always trying to find alignment. That causes the pain described above, and it reaches other parts of your body too.

• Your teeth take more wear and pressure. They become shorter and crack, the gums recede, and the jawbone can begin to resorb and collapse backward.
• Your tongue cannot rest where it should, because the lower jaw is out of alignment. It may sit further back in your mouth, subtly affecting the flow of air to your lungs.
• Your muscles and nerves signal when they are under strain. When the masseter muscles can never relax, because they are constantly searching for the right jaw position, they signal that stress with pain through the nerves that serve them. The pain radiates out from the jaw into the neck, back and shoulders, and can even show up as tingling in the hands and fingers.
• Your posture can change. Chronic pain tends to tip the head forward, which puts extra strain on the neck and spine as they support its weight.
• TMJ can age you. Your teeth become shorter and prone to chipping, your gums recede, and your posture can shift, starting with a forward lean of the head and working down to the shoulders and hips.

None of this has to happen. Once Dr. Frey has diagnosed your TMJ, the first step can be as simple as a custom appliance worn while you sleep, which holds your jaw in proper alignment and can ease your pain and change how you feel day to day.

Avoiding orthognathic surgery.

At our Beverly Hills office, Dr. Frey treats TMJ symptoms without jaw surgery, including orthognathic and MMA surgery. Jaw surgery should never be taken lightly, and it is not a course of action we recommend. Dr. Frey treats TMJ conservatively, so his approach does not involve wiring your jaw shut or recovering from a strenuous operation.

Going splint free.

Removable splints and mouthguards can help with symptoms, but on their own they are a patch rather than a correction, and you may end up wearing one for the rest of your life. Dr. Frey may use an appliance at first to find the position where your jaw is comfortable, then works to make that bite lasting, so your relief does not depend on a splint.