Your jaw is a pretty important part of you; it’s responsible for housing your teeth, which allows you to talk, eat, laugh, and smile your way through life! That said, your jawbone relies on your temporomandibular joints, or TMJ, to do everything it can do. Unfortunately, these joints are susceptible to arthritis—just like every other joint in your body. Continue reading below to learn more about how arthritis has the potential to affect the jaw, along with how these types of issues can be managed with the help of TMJ therapy.
What Types of Arthritis Can Affect the Jaw?
There are three types of arthritis that have the potential to affect the jawbone: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. Here’s a closer look at each:
- Osteoarthritis – A common form of degenerative arthritis, it’s often associated with joint overuse and becomes more common as you age. Osteoarthritis of the jaw is characterized by the destruction of both hard and soft tissues around the TMJ, which can change its shape and overall functionality.
- Rheumatoid arthritis – This autoimmune disease causes your immune system to attack the healthy tissue lining your joints; it’s also a chronic inflammatory condition. Jaw symptoms typically occur in the later stages.
- Psoriatic arthritis – Another inflammatory joint condition, it occurs in about 30% of people who have the skin condition psoriasis. Symptoms include problems opening the jaw, popping and clicking noises, and bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching). It can cause permanent damage to the jaw if left unaddressed.
Arthritis in the jaw can also trigger TMJ disorder symptoms such as chronic inflammation, cartilage deterioration, and restriction of movement. The progression and severity of these depend on the type of arthritis involved.
How Is Jaw Pain Usually Treated?
Treatment for jaw arthritis depends on its severity, but in general, the three goals of treatment are to manage pain, maintain jaw function, and of course, prevent further jaw deterioration. Your provider will request your medical history and conduct a thorough physical investigation to determine what’s happening within your jaw.
There’s no treatment capable of fully reversing damage caused by jaw arthritis; however, conservative measures such as jaw rest, physical therapy, certain types of drugs, and oral appliance therapy are often able to resolve painful TMD symptoms in most patients. In the most severe cases, surgery might be an option.
Even though jaw pain isn’t always associated with arthritis, it’s still a very real possibility, given the condition’s tendency to affect joints throughout the body. That said, early diagnosis and conservative countermeasures are often an adequate first line of treatment and something you should consider if you think your livelihood is being impacted!
About the Practice
Under the talented leadership of Dr. Amanda Hyland and Dr. Carly Hempen, the team at Hyland Dental has proudly served patients and families in the Mankato area for several years, offering a wide range of services including TMJ therapy as well as sleep apnea treatment. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with the team to set up an appointment for yourself or a loved one, you can reach out online or by phone today for more information or assistance. Telephone: (507) 387-3249.