Causes of TMJ

Temporomandibular Jaw Disorder, or TMJ, can have a number of different causes. There are some types of Causes of TMJ that are more common than others. These include overuse of the jaw muscles, injuries to the jaw, arthritis, and dental problems. All of

photo credit: Sarah G…

these issues can lead to problems with TMJ, and need to be corrected or treated in order to help with the symptoms of TMJ.

One of the most common Causes of TMJ is overuse of the jaw muscles. There can be a number of different ways that this comes about. Bruxism, or the grinding of your teeth, is one of the things that can cause this. Excessive gum chewing or biting your nails can be another way to bring on this problem. People who clench their teeth a lot also might cause problems due to the overuse of their jaw muscles.

Another of the Causes of TMJ is injuries to the jaw. This is pretty self explanatory. If you get injured and your jaw is thrown out of alignment, this can bring about the symptoms of TMJ, such as lower jaw pain and problems opening and closing the jaw. You will need to get the injury fixed and the jaw alignment restored.

Arthritis is another of the Causes of TMJ. When arthritis causes the cartilage in this joint to get worn down, it can bring on the pain and trouble moving the jaw that is known to be a part of this condition. There are some treatments that can help to fix this problem, but you might just end up treating the pain if this can be done.

Dental problems should also be listed among the Causes of TMJ, since if you haven’t kept up with your dental work or your dental work has not been properly done it can cause your jaw to become misaligned, or your bite to be messed up. Either of these things can lead to problems with temporomandibular joint disorder if they are not corrected. This can be one of the easier problems to fix, since many times once the dental work is corrected the problems with TMJ are also lessened to a great extent.