Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) isn’t a sudden event like injuring a knee. It can start in childhood, often linked to mouth breathing, which affects jaw development. Stress, nightly teeth clenching, traumatic injuries, and genetic factors can also contribute to TMJ.

TMJ CAUSES

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How Did I Get TMJ?

Temporomandibular joint disorder isn’t a sudden event, such as injuring your knee. It can start in childhood, and can be evidenced by mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is often a sign of a misaligned jaw. Because the tongue needs to sit lower when a person breaths through his or her mouth, this can affect the development of the upper jaw in a child, leading the jaw to develop in the shape of a V unlike the U-shape it would normally be.

Those would be congenital problems with bite balance and alignment. But often TMJ develops as a result of stress and nightly teeth clenching during sleep. Traumatic injury to the jaw or jaw joints can lead to TMJ. Research also shows a genetic tendency.

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Causes Of TMJ

Unbalanced Bite

A bad bite can result in soreness and can be a leading cause of TMJ. The obvious signs include an under-bite or an over-bite. An unbalanced bite could result from one cause, or a combination of factors. Allergies during childhood, thumb sucking, old dentistry that needs to be replaced, or the shifting of teeth due to tooth loss can all lead to a bad bite.

Injury or trauma

An injury or trauma to your jaws from an accident or any intense physical impact, can lead to damage to your muscles or joints. Any time your body absorbs the impact of a serious blow, it transfers throughout the rest of your body, altering the function of the muscles and joints in your head, neck, and face. This results in discomfort and irritation related to TMJ.

Skull deformation

Pressure and force exerted on a baby’s head during birth affects the shape and development of the skull and the bones in the head and face. If there is a misalignment of the bones, muscles, or ligaments, this can alter the development of the TMJ. It can also result in the misalignment of jaws and skull bones, causing an unbalanced bite.

Genetics

The fact is that your jaw structure, teeth positioning, and entire facial composition are inherited. This can include the sensitivity to your environment leading to allergies and congestion. If you inherited a small jaw or if your teeth are too large to fit your mouth, the result is a bad bite and misaligned jaw.

Airway issues

Airway issues can cause TMJ pain, an improperly formed jaw, and bite issues. If you have an unbalanced bite, your tongue can’t sit where it should, which as a result can block air from getting to your lungs. Improper breathing may be due to childhood allergies. When a child is constantly congested, the tongue drops down allowing air to pass over it. The tongue is no longer in balance and the upper jaw’s growth changes over time. This can result in a compromised breathing airway.

Unbalanced dentistry

Even if you have gone through orthodontic work to straighten your smile, there could still be invisible problems. You can have a perfectly straight set of teeth but still be suffering from TMJ symptoms and have a misaligned bite.

Who Is At Risk For Developing TMJ?

There are no reliable statistics on the number of Americans who have TMJ, but it is estimated to be over 10 million people. TMJ is more common in women than men. Stress is a known risk factor. If a person is under an inordinate amount of stress he or she may begin clenching their teeth during the day and grinding them at night. This begins a sequential effect of stressed muscles, damaged teeth, and chronic pain. There also appears to be a genetic factor in developing the condition.

Can Stress Cause TMJ?

Stress can be exasperated by TMJ but doesn’t cause it. Some doctors believe in Psychosocial Biology which states that stress causes TMJ, but Dr. Frey doesn’t believe this. Dr. Frey believes in the  Structural-Functional Camp, meaning there is some sort of structural imbalance in the cranium and/or bones causing the TMJ. Dr. David Frey evaluates the cause of your TMJ and works to bring those imbalances into harmony with muscles of the jaw, neck, jaw joint and teeth.

Is Sleep Apnea Related To TMJ?

50% of sleep apnea is related to TMJ. At our office in Beverly Hills, we take full CT scans to look at the head and neck to determine if the patient has a bad airway.

Dental x-rays to take a closer look at your teeth and jaw
CT scan to get a closer look at the bones of the jaw joint
MRI to show any issues with the soft tissue or the disk in the joint

Can TMJ Cause Tinnitus?

Because there is a shared ligament from the temporomandibular joint into the ear, TMJ disorder can cause tinnitus. If the shared ligament is super tight it causes ringing in the ears .

Can Braces Cause TMJ?

Braces could cause TMJ because the original bad bite would cause an imbalance in the joint. Pain may not have been felt before the braces, but shifting the teeth can cause the TMJ pain to increase while the imbalances in the jaw are corrected.

Can Someone With Dentures Get TMJ?

Yes, especially if the vertical dimension is too low meaning they are over-closed. This could cause the jaw joint to go too far back in the patients’ head.

What Causes Some TMJ Night Guards Not To Work?

Night guards may not be sufficient treatment for TMJ as they can cause an imbalance in harmony in the jaw joint muscles of the head and neck. If night guard is not placed properly, it will cause muscle tension.

Schedule A Consultation

If you are suffering from jaw pain then you might have TMJ. Call (310) 276-4537 to schedule a consultation with Beverly Hills TMJ Dentist, Dr. Frey.

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Dr. David Frey, a Beverly Hills, CA 90210 dentist passionate about creating beautiful smiles, graduated from UCLA and the University of Pacific School of Dentistry. After serving under privileged children, he opened a cosmetic dental office servicing Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 90211, 90209, 90212 and 90213 pioneering porcelain veneers, TMJ Treatment, Periodontal Treatment, Dental implants. He now uses the latest techniques to serve patients in Beverly Hills and London. His work has been featured in media and he holds patents and authored books. He prioritises continuous learning and enjoys family, travel, and a healthy lifestyle.

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TMJ CAUSES