TMJ / Neuromuscular Dentistry
Smile Makeover Specialist
In Collierville and Memphis, Tennessee
If you would like to contact Dr. Ettienne van Zyl to ask a question or schedule an appointment visit our convenient contact form.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is one name given to pain which develops around the jaw and its associated muscles. Most often, TMD is the result of malocclusion, or bad bite, which puts stress on the jaw joint. It can make speaking, chewing, and swallowing uncomfortable, and can sometimes lead to tension headaches, pain in the tooth and jaw.
This chronic pain, as well as other TMD complications, makes TMD one of the most common health complaints in the United States. About 40 percent of all chronic pain syndromes are concentrated in the head and neck areas, and many of them are related to TMD. Some estimates suggest that 20 percent of all Americans possess some symptoms of TMJ. Fifteen percent of TMD is genetic; 85 percent is acquired.
The temporomandibular joint is located directly near the ear. It is the joint between the skull and the jawbone. Between them is a disc called an intra-articular disc, which acts as a type of shock absorber. This joint is one of the most complicated in the body, since its requirements for movement are not merely up and down, but side to side, and rolling, and it has roles in breathing, swallowing, chewing and talking. The area is a complex of muscles and nerves, some of which relay important commands and information back and forth between the face and the brain.
Because the area of the temporomandibular joint is so complicated and interlaced, difficulties in the area can lead to significant problems in many other areas. The Symptoms of TMD are diverse, making TMD Diagnosis difficult and proper TMD Treatment vital to overall good health and happiness.
To learn more about TMD, consult our TMD Questions page, then please contact Dr. van Zyl to set up your initial consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Symptoms
Causes of TMJ
How to Diagnose - Am I a Candidate
TMJ / TMD / Neuromuscular Dentistry Treatment
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