TMJ?!?!?!?! Please any info would be good?!

TMJ?!?!?!?! Please any info would be good?

i had tmj for years now ever snice my dad punched me in the face when i was 14 (hes dead now) and it wasnt so bad just a clicking and popping sometimes..... i had one wisdom tooth removed on the bottom left side becouse it was inpacted the rest of them grew in strait ever since i got that one tooth pulled my tmj has been popping and chracking alot i mean all the time when i talk and when i eat..... if you hjave and info on tmj or if you know of any connection with wisdom teeth and tmj please let me know thank you

It is suggested that before the attending doctor commences any plan or approach utilizing medications or surgery a thorough search for inciting para-functional jaw habits must be performed. Correction of any discrepancies from normal can then be the primary goal.

An approach to eliminating para-functional habits involves the taking of a detailed history and careful physical examination. The medical history should be designed to reveal duration of illness and symptoms, previous treatment and effects, contributing medical findings, history of facial trauma and a search for habits that may have produced or enhanced symptoms. Particular attention should be directed in identifying perverse jaw habits such as clenching or teeth grinding, lip or cheek biting, or positioning of the lower jaw in an edge to edge bite. All of the above puts strain of the muscles of mastication (chewing) and resultant jaw pain. Palpation of these muscles will cause a painful response.

Treatment is oriented to eliminating oral habits, physical therapy to the masticatory muscles and alleviating bad posture of the head and neck. A flat plane full coverage oral appliance, e.g. a non-repositioning stabilisation splint, often is helpful to control bruxism and take stress off the temporomandibular joint, albeit the fact that some individuals may bite harder on it resulting in a worsening of their conditions. The anterior splint with contact at the front teeth only may then prove helpful.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), TMJ treatments should be reversible whenever possible. That means that the treatment should not cause permanent changes to the jaw or teeth.[16][17] Examples of reversible treatments are:

Over-the-counter pain medications, used according to manufacturers’ instructions.
Prescription medications prescribed by a healthcare provider.
Gentle jaw stretching and relaxation exercises you can do at home. Your healthcare provider can recommend exercises for your particular condition, if appropriate.
Stabilization splint (biteplate, nightguard) is the most widely used treatment for TMJ and jaw muscle problems. However, the actual effectiveness of these splints is unclear. If an oral splint is recommended, it should be used only for a short time and should not cause permanent changes in the bite. If a splint causes or increases pain, stop using it and tell your healthcare provider. Avoid using over-the-counter mouthguards for TMJ treatment. If a splint is not properly fitted, the teeth may shift and worsen the condition.
Mandibular Repositioning Devices can be worn for a short term to help alleviate symptoms related to painful clicking when opening the mouth wide but 24 hour wear for long term may lead to changes in the position of the teeth which can complicate treatment. A typical long term permanent treatment (if the device is proven to work especially well for the situation) would be to convert the device to a flat plane bite plate fully covering either the upper or lower teeth and to be used only at night. Full mouth reconstruction, or building up of teeth to achieve the proper bite relation is not supported by strong evidence based studies.

[edit] Surgical
Irreversible Treatments According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, of the National Institutes of Health, irreversible treatments have not been proven to work and may make the problem worse.[16][17] Examples of irreversible treatments are:

Manual adjustment of the bite by grinding the teeth.
Mandibular repositioning splints which move the jaw, ligaments and muscles into a new position.
Extensive dental work such as crown and bridge work to balance the bite.
Orthodontics
Surgical procedures
Replacement of the jaw joint(s) or disc(s) with TMJ implants should be considered only as a treatment of last resort. TMJ implants are intended to improve jaw function. Pain alone is not a reason to undergo a TMJ replacement procedure; often, after surgery, the pain level stays the same or even increases.[16][17] TMJ implants may also cause permanent damage.[16][17]
Further surgery following two previous procedures generally has a poor outlook for normal, pain-free joint function.[16][17] Attempts in the last decade to develop surgical treatments based on MRI and CAT scans now receive less attention. These techniques are reserved for the most recalcitrant cases where other therapeutic modalities have changed. Exercise protocols, habit control, splinting, or more recently neuromuscular dentistry should be the first line of approach, leaving oral surgery as a last resort. Certainly a focus on other possible causes of facial pain and jaw immobility and dysfunction should be the initial consideration of the examining oral-facial pain specialist, oral surgeon or health professional. One option for oral surgery, is to manipulate the jaw under general anaesthetic and wash out the joint with a saline and anti-inflammatory solution in a procedure known as arthrocentesis.[18] In some cases, this will reduce the swelling of the joint, and allow for fluid movement when the jaw opens and closes.