Joint Problems and Splint

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is comprised of muscles, blood vessels, nerves and bones. There are two TMJs, one on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders are problems or symptoms of the chewing muscles and joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull.

Symptoms associated with TMJ disorders may include:

• Biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort
• Clicking, popping or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth
• Dull, aching pain in the face
• Earache
• Headache
• Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw
• Reduced ability to open or close the mouth

Management of TMJ is based on patient’s presenting symptom and usually requires provision of splint to reduce damage to the natural dentition.

Severe cases of TMJ will require multi-disciplinary co-operation from multiple medical and dental specialties.