How Many People Have TMJ Disorder

Your Temporomandibular joint, known as your TMJ, is the joint that connects the jawbones
to the bottom of the skull. The TMJ controls mouth movements, including speaking, yawning, eating, and chewing to name a few. If your TMJ is damaged, the effects can be painful and unfortunately, frequently misdiagnosed. The diagnosis can be challenging for TMJ disorder since it has a wide variety of symptoms, like headaches, teeth grinding, “lock jaw,” neck and back pain, as well as a number of other painful symptoms. As a result of the wide array of symptoms, TMJ Disorder often gets misdiagnosed as the symptoms are attributed to other disorders.

Do you know who is most at risk for TMJ disorder? If you responded, “Everyone” then you are close to the truth of the matter. Statistically speaking, most people will have some form of TMJ disorder in their lifetime. In the United States alone, over ten million adults suffer from TMJ disorder. TMJ disorder symptoms frequently show up and then fix themselves, so it is goes unreported. However, some instances tend to be more severe and also prolonged. When the pain is long-term, you may need medical treatment and you are not alone. More than fifteen percent of American adults suffer from chronic facial pain. For unknown causes, ninety percent of patients seeking relief from TMJ disorder are women in their childbearing years. Why TMJ disorder is more typical in women than men continues to be a mystery.

Given that the causes of TMJ disorder are sometimes hard to diagnose it can be best to understand what may increase your risk. Evidently your age and your sex can be factors in determining your risk. If you are a woman between the ages of 20 and 50 are statistically at a greater risk for experiencing TMJ disorder. For those who have a habit of grinding their teeth during sleep or chewing gum excessively, as well as biting your nails, you too are at a higher risk. Sometimes a trauma or accident can cause TMJ disorder. If you are in an accident involving or damaging your head or mouth area and then later experience persistent pain it that area it may be related to your TMJ. Any action that causes muscle tension in your jaw or face, such stress, yawning widely, or sleeping on one “favored” side of your face may also greatly increase your risk.

As indicated above, TMJ disorder is unpredictable and can affect you for a variety of reasons, most of which are beyond your control. You should know these likely reasons and be aware of your risk status statistically. Once you are aware of your risk factors you can certainly be more efficient in understanding and explaining your persistent pain. Considering that TMJ disorder is still not considered by doctors and may even be misdiagnosed, arming yourself with information about TMJ disorders can lead to potential faster diagnosis, treatment and relief. In the event that you fit in a statistical bracket and your doctor has never presented TMJ disorder as a probable cause for your pain then you definitely should request that he or she explore TMJ disorder. You can also call a TMJ dentist to get a proper diagnosis and treatment program.