Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are frequently challenging to diagnose for a number of reasons. Healthcare practitioners may be reluctant to diagnose TMD due to the lack of a comprehensive understanding of the causes and precise symptoms impacting TMD and the surrounding muscles.
Characteristics of TMD
Since many other conditions share the same symptoms as TMD, diagnosis is frequently exceedingly challenging. Other signs and symptoms that could be TMD mimics include:
- Dental pain
- Sinus infection
- Infected ears
- Headaches
The Diagnosis
A thorough health history will be taken when performing an examination on a patient who is complaining of TMJ pain in order to look for any injuries, traumas, procedures, or medical problems that may be contributing to the symptoms. Along with your temporomandibular joint, your jaw, mouth, face, neck, and head muscles and bones will all be evaluated to look for any signs of pain, tenderness, or restricted jaw movement or locking when the jaw is opened, closed, or moved from side to side. Although there isn’t a single widely utilized test to identify TMD, there are a number of tests that could help with the diagnosis:
- X-rays of the teeth, face, and joints
- Imaging with magnetic resonance (MRI)
- Digital tomography (CT)