A strange abbreviation has appeared! Is "TMD" actually a disease?

Review expert: Lu Binshen, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Stomatological Hospital, Air Force Medical University

Associate Chief Physician, Associate Professor When you hear "TMD", what do you think of? Many people think it is a dirty word, but that is really underestimating it! TMD has a very rich meaning. On the Internet, TMD is a must-have word for some people to "speak foul language"; on the Internet, TMD can also be understood as the abbreviation of Toutiao, Meituan, and Didi. But did you know? "TMD" is actually a disease!

As a word, everyone can say TMD (of course, it is not recommended); as a disease, everyone can get TMD. So, what exactly is "TMD" as a disease?

What is "TMD"?

In medicine, TMD is the full name of temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

The temporomandibular joint is a joint that connects the two sides of the skull and the mandible. It is located in front of the tragus on both sides of our ears. Although it is not large, it is very powerful. It can slide and rotate. Under the traction of muscles, it can help us open and close our mouths. In our daily life, we rely on this joint to speak, make expressions, chew, swallow, etc.

Source: Baidu Encyclopedia

The temporomandibular joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body. It is roughly composed of three parts, namely the articular head (mandibular condyle), the articular fossa (temporal bone articular surface) and the articular disc . Among them, the articular disc can be understood as a small elastic gasket, which is responsible for buffering and lubrication in the temporomandibular joint.

When we prepare to open our mouth, the articular disc and mandible slide forward under the traction of the muscles, allowing our mouth to open wider.

Conversely, when problems occur in this area (such as misalignment, asynchronous movement of the articular disc and mandible, etc.), it will cause joint clicking and produce temporomandibular joint disorder syndrome, or TMD.

Source: Medical Education Website

Temporomandibular joint disorder syndrome is a general term for a series of pain conditions involving the jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints and related structures. This is because the human tissue behind the temporomandibular joint is full of blood vessels and nerve endings, so the main clinical manifestation of TMD is pain. In severe cases, the mouth cannot be opened, and it may even cause headaches and ear pain.

In addition, there are "clicking" sounds and noises during biting. Temporomandibular joint disorder syndrome is not uncommon. Although it cannot be cured, it is not fatal. Some people may not even realize that they have the disease.

Why do people get “TMD”?

At present, there is no clear evidence on the cause of TMJ disorder syndrome. There are several main factors:

One is bad eating habits , such as long-term teeth grinding, eating hard and tough food, long-term unilateral chewing, etc., which increase the burden on joints;

Source: pixabay

The second is abnormal bite , such as crooked wisdom teeth, malocclusion, missing teeth without repair, uneven teeth, etc.

The third is psychological factors . Excessive mental stress may cause TMD accidentally.

Trauma to the maxillofacial area and abnormal development of the temporomandibular joint may also lead to the occurrence of TMD.

In general, TMD is very common in daily life. If it is occasional TMD and there is a little pain in the joints, you can try to rest more and use hot compresses to relieve the symptoms. However, if it is long-term joint pain and inability to open the mouth normally, it is recommended to consult a doctor to rule out whether there are factors such as arthritis and tumors.

Source: pixabay

After TMD is diagnosed, conservative treatment is generally the main approach in clinical practice. Reversible conservative treatment is used in the early stages, such as drug therapy (such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), joint cavity closure, physical therapy, occlusal splint treatment, etc.

If there is no significant improvement in the later symptoms, irreversible conservative treatment will be adopted, such as bite adjustment, orthodontic correction, tooth restoration, arthroscopic surgery and various surgical treatments.

Source: unsplash

The treatment of TMD generally does not require imaging examinations , but if bone degenerative lesions are diagnosed, CT examinations and other methods should be used to effectively diagnose whether there is osteoarthritis. If necessary, magnetic resonance imaging is also required to see if the joint disc is normal. The symptoms of TMD are not serious, but like mosquitoes in summer, they are also very annoying. Therefore, in daily life, we can take preventive measures from these aspects.

1. Maintain adequate sleep and avoid excessive mental stress and anxiety;

2. Avoid bad oral habits, such as chewing hard or tough food, long-term unilateral chewing, yawning with excessive mouth opening, etc., which will lead to imbalance of left and right joint function;

3. Maintain good oral hygiene. If you have missing teeth or tooth decay, seek timely treatment, because missing teeth cannot share the force of the joints normally, which may lead to joint dysfunction in the long run.

Don't open your mouth too wide when yawning

Source: unsplash

Finally, another symptom related to TMD is dropping jaw .

Sometimes the mouth opens too wide and the disc cannot hold the mandible, causing the chin to fall off. Chin fall is much more serious than TMD. The mouth can hardly close normally and it is impossible to speak normally. At this time, it is recommended that you go to the hospital directly to get the chin fixed back.