Magok Dental Clinic TMJ Disorder Symptoms, Botox, and Splint Treatment

Hello, everyone.

Located on the 2nd floor of One Grove D Building, Magok Dental Clinic

This is Yonsei Wish.

Have you ever experienced a clicking sound around your jaw when eating,

speaking, or yawning?

If so,

this may not be something to simply leave untreated.

That is because it may be a condition that requires

a specialist who understands the maxillofacial structure

to make an accurate diagnosis and provide a solution.

At first, it may have just been uncomfortable to hear a clicking sound,

but as time passes it can lead to various diseases,

including headaches.

Today, let’s take a closer look at this issue together. What exactly is the cause?

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

(Temporomandibular Joint Disorders)

Let’s find out the cause together with Magok Dental Clinic.

When you first visit a hospital,

think about the questions on the questionnaire you receive.

Among them are questions such as

✅ I have a lot of stress

✅ I grind my teeth

The reason such questions exist is

that these can also lead to disease.

If you have recently had pain and a clicking sound every time you move your jaw,

and if you have a lot of stress, grind your teeth,

or have habits such as resting your chin on your hand,

you should keep in mind the possibility that it has progressed into a disease.

In addition to the above,

it can also be caused by external impact

or malocclusion.

If you habitually clench your teeth tightly

or have a unilateral chewing habit in which you chew only on one side when eating,

there may be many complex factors, from opening the mouth too wide when yawning

to sleeping on your side at night,

so a detailed diagnosis by a specialist is needed. Symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders and

the connection to headaches and systemic disease

Next, Magok Dental Clinic will explain in detail why this condition should not be left untreated.

As mentioned earlier, well-known symptoms include

pain in the chewing muscles and a clicking sound when eating

or yawning.

If it progresses further,

it can be broadly classified into conditions such as disc problems, arthritis, dislocation, and stiffness.

In particular, if inflammation occurs, pain can cause discomfort in ordinary daily activities

such as speaking or eating,

and because muscle disorders are also linked,

it can lead to muscle tension caused by fatigue, myofascial pain,

myositis caused by external stimuli or infection,

and muscle spasms associated with central or metabolic disorders.

And these cases in turn lead to other problems.

Since pain arises in the bones located in the face,

inflammation can spread to the surrounding area or place strain on other organs,

and this often leads to headaches,

shoulder pain, and stiffness around the neck.

In particular, there are cases where it is connected to illnesses that seem completely unrelated.

According to the OPPERA study,

people who already had another condition elsewhere in the body

tended to have a higher likelihood of developing temporomandibular joint disorders.

People who previously had lower back pain

had a higher incidence of this condition than those who did not,

and the same was found to be true for people with irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome causes abdominal pain, discomfort, and bowel problems

even though there are no structural defects and no inflammation, ulcers, or tumors in the stomach or intestines,

so the fact that these two seemingly unrelated conditions are connected

is something that cannot help but be surprising.

As mentioned earlier, headaches also showed a significant relationship,

and in addition, it was confirmed that the incidence is higher in people with a history of nervous system or respiratory disease,

those taking three or more types of medication, and smokers.

Sleep also showed a connection.

When comparing people who sleep regularly and soundly without waking up in the middle of the night or lacking sleep

with those who do not,

the lower the quality of sleep,

the higher the risk of temporomandibular joint disease.

Some consider it a disease caused by aging,

but rather than age itself being the factor,

it appears as a result of unhealthy habits accumulating over a long period of time.

Therefore, it is important to take good care of and manage overall health from a young age. Let’s improve these habits

So then, let’s organize which habits should be improved this time at Magok Dental Clinic.

First, it is a good idea to check the factors discussed above.

Whether I grind my teeth while sleeping at night,

whether I am under a lot of stress and tend to clench my teeth whenever that happens,

whether I rest my chin on my hand while sitting at a desk or use my phone while lying on my side,

whether I tend to chew only on one side when eating,

it is good to check these points

and gradually reduce them one by one.

In addition, smoking should not be overlooked.

It carries the risk of worsening inflammation and pain

and reducing the function of surrounding tissues,

and while it may not be a direct cause for everyone,

it is clear that it can act as a factor that worsens the prognosis.

For that reason, quitting smoking is essential,

and along with that, I encourage reducing alcohol consumption or abstaining from alcohol,

and managing any other existing conditions such as lower back pain or headaches through your daily routine. This is how it can be treated

This time, Magok Dental Clinic will summarize how it can be diagnosed and treated.

Diagnostic methods include a mandibular movement range test,

which measures the range of mouth opening and whether dislocation is present,

and through a temporomandibular joint sound test,

it is possible to check for issues such as anterior disc displacement, skeletal shape deformation,

instability of the joint ligament, and excessive mandibular movement.

In addition, diagnosis is made by comprehensively checking and analyzing radiology, occlusion, and muscle problems.

Based on the results obtained in this way,

solutions can be carried out,

but once tissue is lost,

it is very difficult to recover 100%, so prevention and early response are truly important.

Therefore, be sure to receive regular checkups every 6 months to 1 year,

and rather than simply overlooking any discomfort you feel in daily life,

it is better to pay close attention to it.

This is especially true for people who have the unhealthy habits or risk factors mentioned above.

Among treatments that can help recovery is physical therapy (PHL).

It can help relieve pain by promoting cell regeneration through laser light.

And there is Botox.

Botulinum toxin is a substance that has the ability to restrict muscle movement,

and Botox was created by using this feature.

By injecting it, the chewing muscles are relaxed,

and the solution works by reducing the strong pressure applied to that area.

In addition, a splint can be of great help in providing stability for people who grind their teeth severely while sleeping at night.

A splint is made to reduce the burden on both the teeth and the muscles.

It is best to wear it during sleep at night, when you may grind your teeth without realizing it,

and there may be discomfort for about the first month.

The duration varies depending on muscle stiffness or the speed of disease progression, so please use this only as a reference.

Also, depending on the placement of the patient’s attachment,

bite force, and bad habits,

there may be changes in occlusion.

Therefore, if you experience discomfort related to splint wear or changes in your bite,

we recommend getting checked at a nearby medical institution, including Magok Dental Clinic.

As we have reviewed so far, joint disease around the jaw area involves many factors intertwined,

so a single cause cannot be identified,

and it has a strong connection with the health of other parts of the body,

and we have seen why lifestyle management, including quitting smoking,

and early response are necessary.

We hope this has been of great help to those who have been spending uncomfortable days because of the issues above,

and we also hope that you can once again regain your beautiful smile.

With that, I will bring this long post to a close.

I hope the rest of your day is peaceful, and this has been Magok Dental Clinic Yonsei Wish.

Thank you.