Temporomandibular joint disorder, known as TMJ or TMD, can cause excruciating pain and discomfort. The symptoms of TMJ are often overlooked or misdiagnosed because these symptoms can occur in numerous situations. If you are experiencing any of the signs of TMJ, you should consider consulting a dentist for diagnosis. A medical doctor may not see that the symptoms are TMJ related.
The symptoms of TMJ include:
- Headaches
- Pain around your ears, neck and shoulders
- Difficulty sleeping
- Clicking or popping noises in your jaw
- Jaw locking in an opened or closed position
- Ear ringing or humming
- Jaw and teeth pain
- Facial swelling
- Earaches
Once being diagnosed with TMJ by a dentist, you should seek treatment from an oral surgeon. A surgeon specializing in oral surgery has the advantage of treating the causes of TMJ, instead of treating the symptoms only. Non-surgical treatments can alleviate TMJ pain, but your joint may need surgical repairs to reduce TMJ symptoms in the long term.