WHAT CAUSES TMJ DISEASES AND DISORDERS?
Not all causes are known. Some possible causes are injuries to the jaw area, various forms of arthritis, some dental procedures, stretching of the jaw as occurs with inserting a breathing tube before surgery, and clenching or grinding of teeth. HOW ARE TMJ DISEASES AND DISORDERS TREATED? Reversible Treatments According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, TMJ treatments should be reversible whenever possible. That means that the treatment should not cause permanent changes to the jaw or teeth. To correct the problem and relieve the pain and muscle spasm, it is often necessary to remove the premature contacts from the teeth. This is accomplished by removing minute amounts of tooth structure from the biting surface of those teeth which are causing premature contacts. Because enamel of the tooth is the thickest on the biting surface and the amount of tooth to be removed is very minimal, this procedure will in no way damage the
