Temporomandibular joint disorders

| The TMJ or temporomandibular joint makes it possible to open and close the mouth. When it is affected, a craniomandibular dysfunction occurs.

The temporomandibular joint (commonly abbreviated as TMJ) is the joint that makes it possible to open and close the mouth. It is located in front of the external auditory canal, on the side of the head. We can palpate the TMJ with our fingers and perceive its movements while we proceed to the opening and closing of the mouth. It is one of the most used joints in the body. When we speak, swallow, yawn or eat we are making use of it.

The TMJ pathology is very common, although, in most cases it is mild. It is estimated that it can affect 80% of the population. The population group with the highest incidence is that of women between 20 and 50 years of age, with a proportion three times greater than that of men.

Alterations of the TMJ are included in the so-called Syndrome which includes all painful or defective function of the joint.

The TMJ is a joint made up of an articular meniscus, a joint capsule, and a system of ligaments that surround and stabilize both elements. The surfaces of the bones that make up the joint (mandibular condyle or upper part of the jaw and temporal bone) are covered by fibrocartilage. The articular disc or meniscus is located between both fibrocartilages.

Symptoms

The most characteristic symptoms that we can find as part of the Craniomandibular Dysfunction Syndrome are the following:

• pain in front of the joint or in the ear. It can affect one or both ATMs. The pain generated in the TMJ can manifest itself in the temples, jaw, mouth, throat, neck or shoulders.
• Noises in the ATM such as popping or cracking.
• Difficulty or blockage opening your mouth (On some occasions, the articular meniscus remains interposed in the joint, preventing the mouth from closing. It is a relatively frequent reason for consultation in the emergency department).
• Ear plugging, dizziness and feeling of hearing loss.

They can even give symptoms as varied as numbness of the skin of the face, itching in the pinna, itchy throat and dry mouth.

Causes

The causes of Syndrome temporomandibular dysfunction are varied and also their classifications. We will frame them in:

• Dento-muscular
• Meniscus-condylar
• Inflammatory Causes (arthritis)
• Autoimmune
• Degenerative causes
• Hypermobility