Over the last decade or so, dentists in the city have seen an increasing number of mostly young patients coming in with certain symptoms: pain the jaw, dull ache or radiating pain towards the cheek, ear or neck, a tired feeling to the face, toothaches, headaches, clicking or popping sounds while yawning or even limited movement of the jaw.
These symptoms, dentists say, could be due to a disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) – the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull. While the disorder could occur for a variety of reasons, including improper alignment of the teeth or trauma, one reason it could get aggravated is stress, say dentists.
“About a decade ago, I would see about five patients a month with TMJ disorders. Now, I see at least 25 to 30 patients per month, with an increase in stress levels, especially among the young. A lot of my patients are between the ages of 15 and 35 who have exam-related and job-related stress,” said Gunaseelan Rajan, medical director, Rajan Dental, adding that he saw more women than men.
An increase in awareness about the temporomandibular joint could also be one of the reasons for the rise in the number of patients, said Yashwanth Venkataraman, medical director, Parasu Dental Centre, but added that stress too was a huge factor.
“The TMJ is the only moveable joint in the entire face,” explained Dr. Venkataraman. “It is a ball-and-socket joint and it can start to erode due to a number of reasons. When a person is under a lot of stress, they tend to clench their jaw or grind their teeth (bruxism), the muscles become taut, the joint does not get any rest and this causes its inflammation, leading to the pain and dysfunction,” he said.
“I now see four or five cases a week, a significant rise from about one or two a month a decade ago,” he said. S. Vigneswaran, consultant prosthodontist at Apollo White Dental, said he too had seen an increase in such cases.
Based on various studies done in different parts of India, it is seen that as high as about 52 per cent of the population suffer from varying degrees of TMD, a majority of these being very mild. Out of these, about 22 per cent suffer from problems affecting both right and left temporomandibular joint, said S.M. Balaji, director, Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital.
“Women in their childbearing years account for 90 per cent of all TMJ sufferers,” said Prof. Balaji, adding that what was alarming was the increase in the younger population, in line with findings that suggest high prevalence of anxiety and depression among students.
Medical conditions such as arthritis, hormone replacement therapy and even partial or full dentures that are not the right fit could be contributing factors, he said.
So what can be done? Conservative treatment includes cold or warm compresses to the jaw, exercises for the jaw, a soft diet, a dental splint and medications, among others, said Prof. Balaji. In very severe cases, said Dr. Venkataraman, surgical intervention may be considered.
But most of all, a good night’s sleep and stress management are absolutely essential, said the doctors.
