Jaw cracking, jaw noises, and arthrosis of the jaw are all common occurences, but if you do not have any serious comlaints, they do not require therapy!
Earlier, any problems you had with your jaw were categorized as „ cranio-mandibular dysfunction“ – or CMD, for short. But since there have been changes in the way the jaw is treated in recent years, the term commonly used now is myoarthropathy – or MAP.
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It has been found that the jaw is perfectly capable of adapting to a new set of teeth, this just takes some time. So nowadays doctors like to wait before starting any treatment. Only one device has been found to help in the acute phase of jaw pain -Â the Michigan rail.
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This is used as an aid to therapy in acute cases. Arthrocentesis, or washing out the joint, has not really been scientifically proven to work, but even University clinics use this method generously.
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No real connection has been found between malocclusion and jaw problems, although for some reason patients with an overbite – Class 3 patients – tend to have less jaw problems.
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Summing up:
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In the acute phase:
- Going easy on the jaw, no gum, jelly beans or foods requiring intensive chewing
- Opening the mouth carefully (no yawning, oral sex, biting apples, …)
- Pain medication
- Using the Michigan rail
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In the painless phase:
- Correcting a malocclusion
- Mouth-opening exercises
- Waiting
Other types of therapy are simply overdoing it! An MRT will not help much, good x-rays and a proper check-up are more than enough for a diagnosis! Good luck!
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