The maxillofacial, or as it is defined by anatomy reference books, the temporomandibular joint, is a “two-story” joint, and is formed by elements of the jaw and temporal bones. The layer between the bones is the articular disc, and the strength of the entire joint is provided by ligaments. The work of the joint is regulated by the masticatory muscles - one of the most trained in the body. The jaw joint can perform several types of movements: move the jaws horizontally to the right and left and back and forth, and vertically - up and down. Osteoarthritis of the jaw joint leads to impairment of its functional abilities.
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Arthrosis is a group of joint diseases in which the gradual destruction of articular cartilage occurs. In the absence of proper treatment, the bones, ligaments and muscles that form the joint are involved in the pathological process. Therefore, arthrosis can lead to severe complications and disability.
The pathology develops as follows: first, the cartilage covering the head of the jaw becomes thinner, and then in some places it completely disappears. The body tries to compensate for its loss, but because cartilage is unable to regenerate, it is replaced by bone tissue, causing the joint to change shape and not function properly.
Risk factors for the development of the disease can be both local pathologies occurring in the joint itself, and reasons associated with the general condition of the body:
Arthrosis of the jaw joint can develop unnoticed for a long time, its symptoms appear gradually. Over time, the patient notices the following signs, occurring sequentially:
In the morning it may be difficult for him to move his jaw, but then it goes away. Subsequently, stiffness persists throughout the day.
From time to time there is a crunching sound in the joint, and in some positions it may “click”.
Chewing food is accompanied by pain, most often one-sided, so a person tries to chew food on one side.
The asymmetry of the face becomes noticeable - the lower jaw shifts to the right or left, the lips sink.
The jaw muscles on the side of the affected joint are tense, although painless.
It becomes difficult or impossible for the patient to open his mouth completely.
X-rays reveal changes characteristic of arthrosis: a decrease in the height of the head of the joint, its flattening and/or change in shape to hook-shaped, pointed or club-shaped, the appearance of bone growths (osteophytes).
The treatment of arthrosis of any type requires an integrated approach. Complex treatment of jaw arthrosis includes therapeutic methods (medicines, physiotherapy), diet, lifestyle correction (including getting rid of bad habits), and, if necessary, the use of orthopedic or surgical treatment.
Medicines include tablets, gels, and ointments that have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, paracetamol, ketorol. To improve the condition of cartilage tissue, ligaments and tendons, the doctor may prescribe chondroprotectors (glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate).
Physiotherapeutic treatment may include ultrasound, laser, microwave therapy, magnetic therapy, and electrophoresis procedures. Warming with medical bile diluted with dimexide is effective.
The main goal of nutritional correction is to reduce the load on the jaw joint and include in the diet foods containing carbohydrates, proteins and B vitamins. Proteins and carbohydrates are needed for the construction of cartilage tissue, and vitamin B12 ensures the growth of bone tissue. To reduce the motor load on the jaw, you should temporarily give up solid food and limit yourself to cereals, soups, juices and milk.
Orthopedic treatment of jaw arthrosis consists of ensuring uniform load on the jaw joints. Mouthguards, palatal plates, crowns, clasp and bridge prostheses can be used to correct the shape of teeth and bite. If necessary, mouth opening limiters and devices designed to change the plane of bite are installed.
Arthrosis of the maxillofacial joint in severe form may require surgery to remove the affected articular disc or articular head of the jaw (without replacing it or replacing it with a graft). To avoid having to resort to radical measures, treatment of the disease should begin at its early stage.
Take care of yourself and be healthy!
At the top of the comments feed are the last 25 question-answer blocks. I answer only those questions where I can give practical advice in absentia - this is often impossible without personal consultation.
Good afternoon, please tell me how the jaw joint disc is removed? Where is the incision made?
Marina, if you have a slipped disc, you don’t have to have surgery. Splinting (a dental procedure), rest, and physical therapy, including icing followed by specific exercises and the use of a warm, wet wipe, can be quite effective for temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome. If this and other non-surgical treatments fail, a procedure such as arthrocentesis can guarantee treatment success. In general, surgery is performed as a last resort, since it does not guarantee restoration of function and may even worsen the condition of the joint. It is carried out only when other types of treatment have not been successful and the chronic form of the disease makes it impossible to work, as well as when there is a serious change in the structure of the joint.
You can ask your surgeon any other questions you may have.
Hello! My jaw has been clicking very loudly for three years now, but I don’t feel any pain. It’s just that when I eat, everyone who is at the table with me hears it. How to get rid of this?
Hello, Victoria. Unfortunately, diseases of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are common and complicate the lives of patients of any age. Clicking simply refers to the symptoms of some pathology, which may be associated with a violation of the integrity of the joint capsule or ligaments, infection, or overload of the joint. The main culprit for such clicks is the ligaments that surround the joint capsule, or rather their looseness. Many reasons lead to this condition, for example, arthritis of the lower jaw joint or an injury, albeit an old one.
Dental surgeons are involved in correcting pathological conditions that arise in the temporomandibular joint. Treatment is prescribed depending on the complexity of the situation, as well as on the reasons that led to the occurrence of pathological noise in the TMJ.
Very often, treatment lasts a long time, since it is necessary to correct dentures, re-filling teeth, and sometimes treatment by an orthodontist.
Hello! I have problems with the lower jaw on the right side. The mouth opens only 1-2 cm. I went to see a doctor and was told that the problem was the heavy load on the jaw. They told me to undergo physical treatment (electrophoresis) and an intramuscular injection (lincomycin). I went through all the procedures, 2 months passed, there was no improvement, on the contrary, now my lips have become crooked when I open my mouth, my lips “stretch” to the right side and my right eye is also tense, in general, the whole right side seems to have seized convulsions. I don't know what to do next. Why is this? Help
Hello Riza. The diagnosis is unclear, have you had a full examination? The examination should include anamnesis, physical (examination, palpation, percussion), instrumental, laboratory, radiological, cytological, pathohistological, MRI of the temporomandibular joint and other research methods. With such symptoms, arthritis, dislocation of articular discs, etc. are possible. Contact a dental surgeon for a full examination, establishment of an accurate diagnosis, only then will the doctor be able to prescribe adequate treatment. It is possible that your case requires surgical treatment rather than physical therapy.
Hello. First my jaw started to click. My lower jaw joint hurts from time to time. The dentist said it was arthritis. How can you get rid of it?
Hello, Ekaterina. The fact is that inflammation of the jaw joint, which causes the joint to click, occurs for a number of reasons, which are grouped into 3 groups: infection, trauma and inflammatory diseases. Injury can occur after a blow or fall, resulting in the formation of a focus of inflammation. This process can even cause swelling over time, impairing the mobility of the joint.
Treatment is not prescribed over the Internet; this should be done by a doctor after examination and research. The main goal of treatment is to eliminate the factors that caused joint overload and deformation.
Arthrosis of the jaw is a chronic degenerative lesion of the temporomandibular joint. The disease involves premature wear and gradual destruction of tissue, which leads to serious impairment of the functioning of the jaws.
Arthrosis of the lower jaw can be caused by the absence of chewing teeth, dystopia of wisdom teeth, improperly fitted prosthesis, occlusion anomalies, as well as prolonged inflammation of nearby tissues and untreated acute arthritis. These conditions entail increased mechanical stress and microtrauma of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), that is, its premature aging, deformation, accompanied by pain, inflammation and limited mobility.
Typically, cartilage tissue is replaced every three months, even in older people. The synovial membrane plays an important role in the renewal of cartilage tissue. It secretes a fluid that lubricates and nourishes the joint, and at the same time removes waste products from the cartilage. In young people, even after damage, cartilage is completely restored due to the body’s ability to scar wounds. However, as we age or as a result of too many injuries, the body loses its ability to fully recover and arthrosis begins to develop. The progression of the disease can take years and decades or be rapid: six to twelve months.
Causes of arthrosis of the lower jaw joint
Stress and increased mental stress, as well as a certain psychotype of personality, are a common cause of the formation of diseases of the jaw apparatus. Lip biting, bruxism and other similar tics, often found in such nervous, restless people, lead to microtraumas of the temporomandibular joint. In addition, arthrosis often results from:
Symptoms of arthrosis of the lower jaw:
The most important symptom is severe piercing pain in the joint and masticatory muscles, aggravated by movement, sometimes radiating to the ear, temple, and molars. In addition, you should pay attention to the occurrence of pops, which may indicate subluxation of the condyle, and crunching, which indicates unevenness of the bone surface and often indicates damage to the meniscus. Sometimes there are peculiar jumps in the joint area - they are visible to the naked eye. In addition, an open-mouth x-ray may show subluxations on the unaffected side.
In addition to the obvious symptoms, which are found in most cases, intermittent ones should also be considered:
Treatment of arthrosis of the joints of the lower jaw
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy allows the disease to be stabilized. Both steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used: how to treat jaw arthrosis must be decided by the doctor separately in each clinical case. In addition, there are a number of physiotherapeutic methods of influence. In some cases, surgery is indicated.
When treating arthrosis of the lower jaw joints, it is very important to act on the basis of the existing symptoms, as well as to eliminate the causes of its development: to replace missing teeth, remove dystopic and impacted wisdom teeth, correct dentures, and correct the bite.
The temporomandibular joint is responsible for the mobility of the lower jaw, with the help of which food intake occurs, and is also complexly responsible for the production of sound speech. If arthrosis affects the jaw joint, then its surfaces become thin, deformed and painful sensations occur when moving.
Arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint is a very common type of disease. It is often diagnosed by dentists, because patients often ignore the symptoms of the disease.
Among the most common symptoms are:
Arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint is diagnosed using tomography or radiography.
According to recent studies, it has been established that the percentage of the disease is growing every year. And already at the age of 70, the disease rate doubles. This is a very common pathology and a pressing problem of our time.
A sedentary lifestyle, eating unhealthy foods, and an unhealthy environmental situation are all components of the causes of arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint.
Since arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint occurs in half of the world's population, you should know what the causes and risk factors for its occurrence may be:
The key to successful treatment of the temporomandibular joint can only be an integrated approach. Proper nutrition, giving up bad habits, taking medications, performing therapeutic exercises.
Diet plays a role in the treatment of jaw arthrosis. Since therapeutic actions are aimed at reducing pain, food should not be solid.
Food can be soft to create minimal stress on the jaw apparatus and be easy to swallow. During the treatment period, the diet may include non-coarsely ground porridge, pureed foods, kefir, milk, and fresh juices.
Giving up a bad habit in this context means not only quitting smoking, but also chewing gum, biting nails, and doing anything that can cause at least some discomfort for the upper and lower jaw.
If you have to talk a lot or, for example, sing, then you will have to stop doing this for the duration of treatment.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include components that are aimed at relieving pain - paracetamol, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and others. You should not get carried away with NSAID-based tablets and ointments, as they often have many side effects.
Chondroprotectors contain substances that help regenerate cartilage tissue in joints - glucosamine and chondroitin. Such substances nourish bone tissue, improve blood circulation and restore metabolism in the joints.
The basis of the treatment of arthrosis of temporomandibular arthrosis are tasks according to which one should direct one’s actions to eliminate the factors that lead to the disease. This may include correcting the bite or shape of teeth using special dental procedures. Afterwards there will be a rehabilitation course to restore lost functions of the oral cavity with the help of therapeutic and preventive exercises.
If arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint has become chronic, then surgical treatment is applicable at this stage. There are several types of operations that will help stop the progression of the disease:
The jaw (temporomandibular) joint is formed by the articular elements of the temporal bone (os temporale) and the lower jaw (mandibula).
This joint is two-story . Movement in it is possible in three variations: moving the lower jaw forward, lowering the lower jaw and shifting it to the side. With arthrosis of this joint, the articular surfaces become thinner and when moving, pain and limitation of movement may appear in it.
According to statistics, one out of three people suffers from diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In the modern world, the relevance of this problem increases from year to year. Due to poor ecology, poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle and reluctance to see a doctor at the first signs of illness, there is an increase in the incidence of this disease. Currently, this disease occurs in 50% of cases in people over 50 years of age. In people over 70 years of age, it occurs in more than 90% of cases. Therefore, the relevance of this problem is very significant.
Risk factors for arthrosis of the jaw joint:
Clinical symptoms of arthrosis of the jaw joint:
Instrumental diagnostic methods:
Treatment of any arthrosis is always complex. It should include:
Mode . It is necessary to maintain a lifestyle that does not create an increased load on the temporomandibular joint. If you have habits of chewing gum, biting nails, pens or other objects, then you need to fight them. If you often sing songs, then you should, at least for a while, forget about it.
Diet . It aims to reduce the load on the temporomandibular joint during meals. Food should not be hard and should not be chewed for a long time. It is better at this time to switch to porridge, kefir, milk, juices.
Drug treatment. To relieve acute symptoms of the disease (pain), painkillers such as NSAIDs in the form of ointments and tablets (paracetamol, ibuprofen, ketorol, ketoprofen) are used. To improve the nutrition of the remaining cartilage tissue in the joint, chondroprotectors (chondroetin sulfate and glucosamine) are used.
Physiotherapy . To do this, the following procedures are used:
Orthopedic treatment. The goal of this treatment is to correct the bite, function and shape of the teeth. For this purpose, special mouthguards, bite blocks, palatal plates, and mouth opening limiters can be used.
Surgical treatment. There are 3 main operations for the treatment of the final stages of arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint: removal of the articular disc, removal of the articular head of the lower jaw, and removal of the head with its subsequent replacement with a graft.
The jaw joint, otherwise known as the temporomandibular joint, is a combination joint that gives mobility to the lower jaw. This allows you to make the movements necessary for eating and chewing food, as well as for pronouncing sounds.
The combined joint is formed by the articular elements of the lower jaw and the temporal bone, which is why it is considered a two-story joint. It provides three movement options:
If the jaw joint is affected by arthrosis, its surfaces become thinner, which entails limitation of movements and pain observed when making movements.
Statistics confirm that a third of the population suffers from diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and therefore the relevance of the problem increases from year to year. The main reasons for the increase in incidence are the following:
Currently, more than half of people over 50 years of age have this disease, and upon reaching 70 years of age, this incidence rate increases to 90%, which makes the relevance of the problem quite significant.
In order to be able to prevent the appearance and development of the disease, it is not superfluous to know not only the causes of its occurrence, but also the risk factors for the appearance of arthrosis of the jaw joint, which may be the following:
Main clinical symptoms of the disease:
Instrumental methods for diagnosing arthrosis of the jaw joint:
The treatment of arthrosis of any joint must be approached comprehensively. It should be as follows:
The main goal of the diet is to reduce physical stress on the jaw joint when eating. Food should be soft and chew quickly and easily. During the treatment period, it is better to eat porridge, kefir, milk, and juices.
The daily routine should ensure a reduction in loads on the jaw joint. If you are used to talking and singing a lot, you will have to give it up. If you had the habit of biting your nails and any objects, or chewing gum, then you will have to give up this too.
To relieve pain and improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue, you should use medications. This way you can reduce pain by taking NSAID painkillers in the form of tablets and ointments - ketorol, paracetamol, ketoprofen, ibuprofen. With the help of chondroprotectors, it is possible to improve the nutrition of the remaining cartilage tissue - glucose, chondroetin sulfate.
To carry out physiotherapy, the following procedures are performed:
The main goal of orthopedic treatment of arthrosis of the jaw joint is to correct the bite, the shape of the teeth and restore function. For this purpose, mouth guards, mouth opening limiters, palatal and bite plates are used.
When treating the final stages of arthrosis of the jaw joint, 3 main types of operations are performed:
Although arthrosis of the maxillofacial joint is not as common as compared to gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis, it is still quite common and often begins in patients between the ages of 30 and 50 years.
The intermaxillary joint provides mobility to the jaw, allowing it to make movements necessary for chewing food and producing sounds. With arthrosis, the cartilage becomes thinner. At the slightest movement the patient experiences acute pain. As the pathology develops, the pain syndrome shifts to the nasal area and can lead to ear congestion.
Degenerative changes in the initial stages go unnoticed and are quite difficult to determine.
Treatment of arthrosis of the maxillofacial joint begins only after a general diagnosis of the patient. It includes:
Surgical treatment of arthrosis of the mandibular joint is prescribed extremely rarely, only in cases where conservative and restorative therapy has not brought results.
Initially, the disease has virtually no symptoms and is often discovered by chance when visiting a dentist. Deforming arthrosis of the jaw joint is observed in later stages as degenerative processes develop.
For almost all types of arthrosis, the same treatment is provided, aimed at combating clinical manifestations. Osteoarthritis of the facial joint has its own ICD (International Classification of Diseases) code, which allows you to compare treatment methods and select those that bring the best results.
Degenerative changes in cartilage tissue are an almost irreversible process. Therefore, all methods of therapy, from traditional to treatment of arthrosis of the jaw joint at home, are aimed at eliminating and combating the symptoms of the disease.
Traditional methods of treatment are aimed at the same thing as traditional therapy: eliminating the symptoms and causes of the disease. They use tinctures, compresses, and homemade warming ointments. You can find many such recipes.
It is impossible to list all the folk recipes, and everyone probably has their own “special” compositions that help in 100% of cases. And if they help, then it’s really nice. The main thing is that folk remedies do not interfere with basic drug therapy.
Arthrosis is a disease that causes gradual destruction of the cartilage tissue of the joint. Over time and in the absence of proper treatment, nearby tissues and organs are also affected - ligaments, muscles, bones, which can often cause disability and various kinds of complications.
Arthrosis of the jaw is a pathological process that affects the temporomandibular apparatus and is accompanied by a deterioration in its functions. With this disease, thinning of the cartilage tissue occurs, and then, as the disease progresses, it completely disappears from the surface of the joint. Due to this pathological process, even perforation (rupture) of the disc, which is located between the articular surfaces of the lower and upper jaws, may occur. In bone tissue in such cases, compensation phenomena are common - osteophytes - the cells that form bone tissue begin to produce bone tissue, as a result of which it completely replaces cartilage. For this reason, the head of the lower jaw bone may undergo external lesions and deformations, acquiring a club-shaped or hook-shaped shape. Despite the fact that even in older people cartilage tissue is renewed every 3 months, in this disease cartilage regeneration is extremely weak.
The facial jaw consists of the temporal bone and the lower jaw bone. Between these elements at the junction there is an interarticular disc. All elements of the joint are securely connected to each other by ligaments. The mobility and functioning of the joint complex is regulated by the masticatory muscles, which are considered one of the strongest and most trained in the entire human body. A distinctive feature of the temporomandibular joint is its mobility - it can move both left and right, back and forth in the horizontal plane, and up and down in the vertical plane.
Causes and predisposing factors of arthrosis All risk factors for which arthrosis of the facial jaw may occur are usually divided into:
Arthritis lesion area
General risk factors include acute or chronic diseases suffered by the patient, failures and disruptions of the endocrine glands and metabolic processes.
Local factors include inflammatory reactions and processes of any etiology that occur in the joint for a long time; heavy loads on the surface of the joint of the head of the lower jaw (for example, due to neuromuscular syndromes), absence of teeth (especially lateral ones), pathological occlusion, in which the correct distance between the cutting edges of the teeth is disrupted and, as a result, abnormal abrasion of the dental surface occurs.
The risk group includes:
Patients' complaints boil down mainly to pain that occurs in the area of the affected joint. Some are bothered by constant aching, dull pain, which intensifies with increasing load on the joint. Others note only sound effects that periodically occur in the joint area - crunching (crepitation), clicking of the joint, grinding. There are frequent complaints about limited mobility of the joint, especially in the morning - the inability to open the mouth completely, displacement of the lower jaw joint in any direction. Chewing food is also difficult - due to pain and discomfort from the affected joint, patients chew food on the side of the jaw that does not bother them. Most often, the disease begins unnoticed.
In addition to obvious symptoms, patients may also notice:
Examples of displacement of the lower jaw in osteoarthritis
As with any other disease, the doctor must carefully collect anamnesis. Particular emphasis should be placed on past acute and chronic diseases - often this is the main clue when diagnosing arthrosis of the jaw and prescribing the correct treatment. Examination is also an important part of the diagnostic process. Visually, the doctor will be able to assess the mobility of the lower jaw, its relationship with the upper jaw, study occlusion, limited mouth opening, the direction of the lower jaw, and carry out sanitation of the oral cavity. When making a diagnosis, instrumental diagnostic methods are often used:
The approach to the treatment of arthrosis is mainly comprehensive and consists of a number of measures. It includes:
Most often, all manipulations and methods used by an orthopedic surgeon in the treatment of arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint are controlled x-ray to determine the adequacy and feasibility of treatment and the normal position of the head of the mandible.
4. Surgical – used in severe cases, it involves complete removal of the joint and articular disc with or without replacement with a graft.
The use of one method or another will depend on the etiology, clinical picture and stage of arthrosis.
The result of arthrosis treatment
In addition to modern therapy, traditional medicine methods have also found their application in the fight against arthrosis of the upper and lower jaw. These remedies are primarily aimed at preventing symptoms and eliminating the causes of the disease. In everyday life there is a wide use of compresses, tinctures, ointments prepared at home, which have a warming and anti-inflammatory effect.
Here are some recipes: