The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is located in front of the ear and connects your lower jaw to your skull. It plays an important role in things like talking, chewing and yawning.
TMJ Disorder, or TMD, is when the joint doesn’t have proper function. This causes abnormal jaw movements.
TMD can mimic a toothache. Other symptoms may include headaches, facial pain, ear ache, clicking/grinding sounds, locking of the jaw, pain in neck, shoulders and back.
It is a disorder that can often need multi-disciplinary diagnosis. Treatment may involve a modified diet, physiotherapy, relaxation, stress management and an occlusal splint.
Snoring can be caused by obstructions in different parts of your airway. It has an obvious impact on those who share a bedroom.
Depending on the cause, some dental appliances such as mandibular advancement splints (MAS) and tongue stabilisers can help the condition.
Snoring doesn’t cause sleep apnoea but it can co-exist. Sleep apnoea is a serious condition in which people stop breathing many times during the night. It can result in increased blood pressure, early onset Alzheimer’s disease and morning headaches.
Sleep apnoea is a condition that needs to be diagnosed by a sleep specialist. The gold standard treatment is a CPAP mask, but dental appliances, especially mandibular advancement splints, can be helpful as they are more comfortable to wear.
