Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

TMJ Noises?

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Snap Crackle Pop…It’s Not The Cereal It’s Your TMJ

You are eating breakfast, the house is nice and quiet and you notice a snapping or popping sound emanating near your ear. What is this noise? The source of this annoyance could be your temporomandibular joint or TMJ. What is happening to cause the abnormal sound?

The TMJ has a disc and ligaments like many joints.
For a variety of different reasons the ligaments can be torn or stretched. The disc can then be “displaced” off the ball within the socket of the joint so when you open your mouth the disc returns on the ball and when you close the disc again “pops” off the ball.

This might be diagnosed as a dislocated disc. Unfortunately, like any ligament in the body, when a ligament is stretched or strained it rarely returns to its previous condition. This forces an individual with a displaced disc to modify their lifestyle to minimize stress to the joint. Such lifestyle changes can entail avoiding chewing gum, no chewing ice and stifling yawns. Treatment for the displacement can be as non-invasive as a “bite plate” or as much as arthroscopic surgery. The level of pain the patient experiences often is the determining factor for the type of treatment that is rendered.

TMJ can be a very confusing frustrating disease for patients. Seeking treatment from a specially trained, experienced neuromuscular dentist is key to solving the TMJ puzzle. If you have any questions regarding TMJ symptoms and how we might be able to help you, please do not hesitate to call us at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment for you that fits your schedule to get you on your way to solving the complex problems of your TMJ.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.