{"id":385,"date":"2022-06-15T16:30:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T14:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/?p=385"},"modified":"2022-06-21T09:37:05","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T07:37:05","slug":"what-is-tmj-tmd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/what-is-tmj-tmd\/","title":{"rendered":"What is TMJ\/TMD?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Officially known as temporomandibular disorders, but often referred to as TMD, this condition affects the jaw, the jaw joint and the surrounding facial muscles that are responsible for chewing and movement of the jaw. This type of disorder is also sometimes known as TMJ syndrome, TMJ disorder, or TMJ dysfunction.<\/span><\/p>

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull. These flexible joints allow the jaw to move up and down and side to side smoothly, while also allowing you to talk, yawn and chew. The muscles around the jaw have a lot of work to do, controlling the position of your jaw as well as the jaw movements themselves. Normally, these movements happen automatically, without any trouble. Sometimes, however, the muscles around the jaw or the joint itself goes out of place, gets stuck, or causes pain in the face, jaw or surrounding muscle. When this happens, it is due to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).<\/span><\/p>

To help you get a better idea of the typical symptoms, causes and treatment of TMD, we have put together a short guide that shows you what to expect.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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TMD \u2013 Symptoms, Causes & Treatment\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recognising the symptoms of TMD and understanding the causes is the first step to effective treatment. Above all else, you need to speak to your dentist as early as possible.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Are The Symptoms Of TMD<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It can be tricky to diagnose this disorder because many of the symptoms can be present for other conditions as well as TMD. This is why it is so important to speak to your dentist. A proper, accurate diagnosis can be obtained with a medical and dental history, an exam and dental x-rays<\/span>. Some of the more common symptoms to look for include the following:<\/span><\/p>