About
Your Pain and TMJ
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is classified as pain
that affects an area of your body longer than six months.
What are some signs and symptoms that
I might have temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)?
Pain in and around the ears, ear
stuffiness, limited mouth opening, the lower jaw getting "stuck" on
opening or closing, clicking, popping and/or grinding
sounds near your ears on opening and closing, headaches,
migraines, tenderness in the muscles of the head, face
or jaw and bite changes.
What are some diagnostic tools you
use to diagnose TMJ dysfunction?
History is often the most important diagnostic
tool. We also use a thorough examination, doppler auscultation
and very often a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study.
Will I need TMJ surgery?
Surgery is recommended in less
than 2 % of TMJ disorder patients. At The Orofacial Pain
Center, we use every conservative measure possible to eliminate
your discomfort before referring you to an Oral Surgeon
for a surgical consult. If surgery is recommended, we will
thoroughly discuss options available to you. There have
been many positive outcomes for the few patients where
surgery was the only option.
What is sleep apnea and how do I know
if I have it?
Signs
of sleep apnea are loud snoring sounds and episodes where
breathing actually ceases for short periods of time. Patients
can experience high blood pressure, excessive daytime sleepiness,
irritability and weight gain.
What is neuropathic pain?
Neuropathic pain is generally
constant, sharp, stabbing, burning, aching and/or electrical
type pain in the nose, lips, eyes, ears or teeth. It is
usually related to traumatic injury to the nerves that
supply those structures. This type of pain can also be
called continuous neuropathic pain, episodic neuropathic
pain, atypical facial pain, atypical trigeminal neuralgia,
atypical odontalgia, sympathetically maintained pain and
chronic regional pain syndrome.
What is Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)?
Typical Trigeminal
Neuralgia is characterized by excruciating, intense, lightening
strikes of facial pain, typically near the nose, lips,
eyes or ears. It is a disorder of the fifth and largest
cranial nerve (the trigeminal nerve). Onset of symptoms
occurs most often after age 50, but cases are known in
children. It can be quite debilitating, but often can be
treated.
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